Welcome To A Masquerade
by Sandylee007
Summary: Naruto is sick of no one noticing him, so he makes a drastic change with the help of his teacher, Hayate. What becomes of him when he changes? And what happens when he meets a new student named Sasuke, who seems to have masks of his own? AU YAOI NaruSasu
1. Prelude

A/N: Heh, it's taken me a while, but HERE IT IS – the last of 'three big ones' is seeing daylight! (waves bonbons) This is a request fic, so I'm particularly happy to get to ship this first chapter out. (grins)

First of all, once again THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all those votes you've given! (HUGS, and always gives some candies) Almost seventy votes people! (faints) That's tons more than I expected. You can't even imagine how happy it makes me feel to know you care THAT much. (wipes eyes)

Awkay, before I'll get all sappy and stuff, let's get going, yeah? The first chapter is here, folks – I REALLY hope you'll enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 1: Prelude

* * *

Gekkou Hayate had always had a special place in his heart for children – that's why he'd chosen to become a teacher of Japanese. That day just before the beginning of a summer vacation, he felt his heart break at what he found when emerging the school building.

There, sitting on a bench, was a slightly chubby, fourteen yeas old boy with somewhat long grown, quite untidy hair, huge eyeglasses and extremely worn clothes. That obviously lost and sad looking teen was Uzumaki Naruto, he recognized immediately – number one on the list of lonely students and skipped classes, and his favourite student. During the years the boy had spent in Hayate's school he'd had no friends whatsoever, and he could only imagine what things were like in the local orphanage where the teen lived.

Giving a deep sigh, he took a look at his watch. Yes, Yuugao could very well wait for a while. This was much more important.

Naruto jumped with mild startle when hearing approaching steps, but seemed to calm down when recognizing him. Blue eyes turned away. " Hey, Mr. Gekkou. What are you still doing here?"

" There was some paperwork I needed to take care of." He observed the boy, feeling a twinge inside him when noticing all the signs of sadness. " What about you?"

Naruto remained silent for so long that he became discouraged, thinking there wouldn't be an answer. Eventually, however, a whisper carried into his ears. " I just… Well…" The blonde looked downwards. " Everyone's going to summer camps with their friends and celebrating the end of school year, but I've… got no need to hurry."

It didn't take Hayate a lot to understand. And at that moment he made up his mind.

Naruto glanced towards him with surprise when he took a piece of paper and wrote a little bit of text to it. " You know what? I've noticed how gifted you are at writing. You're one of the best students I've ever had, and I'd like to see more of your work. So, whenever you get something done and want feedback call me, okay?" He gave the paper – which included his address and phone number – to the baffled teen. It was quite clear the boy hadn't received many compliments during his life. " And if you want me to, I'm willing to help you with other things as well."

Naruto's blue eyes shone with understanding and hope, and after a moment a heartbreakingly huge grin appeared. " Thanks, Mr. Gekkou."

He waved a hand with a smile, starting to walk away. " It's Hayate. And no problem." After giving it a little thought, he added. " It'd be great to see you smile a bit more often."

While hopping into his car, he took another sigh.

He'd done what he could. The rest was up to Naruto.

* * *

That day, it took Naruto a lot longer than usually to make his way into the orphanage. Once entering, he was so deep in thought that he almost bumped into his roommate and only friend, Gaara. He gave the redhead a sheepish look. " 'Sorry." He then frowned, noticing where the other was coming from. " Hey, wasn't that… Deidara's room?"

No one else but he would've probably noticed the faint rosy tinge on the redhead's cheeks. " He's leaving after this summer, so…" A somewhat hard look was aimed his way. " You won't tell anyone, right?" He understood the boy's agitation very well – they both knew how dangerous and forbidden romances between inhabitants were.

He waved a hand. " You can trust me. You do know that, right?"

Gaara's shoulders relaxed. " Hn." The redhead then arched an eyebrow. " Now that's different."

He blinked, not quite catching on. " What is?"

" You were smiling. What's up?"

He realized that he didn't really have an answer. Nor did he have to come up with one, for just then the orphanage's owner's – Danzou's – hard, chilling voice called out. " It's dinnertime! Everyone into the lunchroom, _now_!"

Gaara looked like the boy would've wanted to ask more, but in the end they started to walk away in silence.

While going, he understood that he'd already decided what to answer to Hayate's proposition.

* * *

/ **One Summer Later.** /

* * *

" Alright, Naruto. You can open up your eyes."

His eyes – no longer covered by horrendous glasses but blue contact lenses – inched open slowly, warily. A gasp left the blonde. " Holy damn…!"

Saying he'd changed would've been an understatement. Not only had he thrown away those butt ugly glasses Danzou had once bought for him, but he'd also lost quite a bit of weight and his hair had now been cut neat, short and spiky. And the new clothes Hayate had just given him, carrying colours of black and orange… He could barely be recognized as the kid he'd been before the summer.

Seeing his expression the man smiled a bit, then coughed. " So… I take that as you're happy with the changes."

He nodded eagerly. " Definitely!" He looked at the brunette with a frown when the man coughed again. " Are you okay?"

The man made a dismissive gesture. " Yeah." There was a third cough, after which the older cleared his throat. " This has been bugging me since I was five. It's nothing to worry about." His teacher then took a glance towards a clock. " Shouldn't you be going already?"

Looking the same way, he jumped up with startle. " Oh crap!" First day of school as a different person, and he was already running late!

Hayate seemed to come close to smiling, then coughed again. " Calm down, Naruto. Everything's gonna be just fine."

He nodded determinedly. " Yeah…" He managed to create a smile while waving and dashing away. " Thanks, Hayate-sensei! I'll see you later!"

While storming towards Konoha Junior High, he allowed his eyes to darken with determination.

Yes, everything would go just fine this time around – he'd already changed his surname and looks to ensure that. In school's books, he was now a completely different Naruto – a new student in all meanings of the words. If they wanted his personality to change as well… He'd do that, too.

He was prepared for anything to stop being a damn ghost.

-

Hayate looked at the door through which Naruto had disappeared deep in thought for a while, then gave a sound of satisfaction when feeling a kiss on his neck. " It's unbelievable how much you've changed that kid", his fianceé, Uzuki Yuugao who'd just clipped Naruto's hair, murmured. " You've changed his life forever."

" Yeah…", he muttered, leaning against the woman's warmth with yet another cough. " I just hope I did the right thing."

* * *

Stood in the school's stinking toilet, Uchiha Sasuke took one more look at his wristwatch, satisfied to notice that he still had ten minutes. Had he not been granted as much pride as he had, he would've winced when looking into a mirror and meeting a dark, very noticeable bruise decorating his right eye.

He definitely needed all the time he could get to fix this one.

After making sure no one was there to see what he was doing and ask questions, he started the work. His eyes were halfway closed while he smeared thick cover to the bruise, fingers moving delicately to hide the damage. In his eyes, flames of rage and self-hatred burned, so brightly that it could've made anyone looking gasp for air. He grit teeth to hold bile down.

/ _" Hold still, Sasuke. We both know you deserve this."_ /

It would've required the sharpest of eyes to detect that his hand trembled while he put away a bottle of makeup cover, then washed his hands, erasing all visible signs of what had happened. No one would be staring anymore.

/ _" You are pathetic, Sasuke. A piece of filth. And I won't treat you as anything else before you've proven me that you're worth your family name. So stop that whining – it's giving me a headache."_ /

" Sasuke!" Glancing at the mirror before him once more, he found irritated Suigetsu stood behind him. " Geez, are you deaf or something? I've been here for at least half a minute."

His dark eyes calmed down a little, but didn't lose all their concealed wrath. " What is it?" he asked in his usual, cold and even tone.

Suigetsu watched his face with a strange expression for a while, and he already thought the boy caught something. Pretty soon, however, all traces of realization disappeared. " There's that meeting for all new students, remember? It's time to go."

He fought the urge to groan. Great. Two hours of meaningless, excruciatingly boring monotone from some teacher was the last thing he needed. " I'll be there in a minute", he stated somewhat gruffly.

Suigetsu nodded, seeming very thoughtful, then left the room, leaving him into a thick, heavy silence.

He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply through his nose, squeezing the sink before him so tightly that his hands hurt. A small sound of relief erupted through his tight throat when he discovered that his stomach was finally in order once more.

He opened his eyes again slowly, almost reluctantly, and after making sure he didn't seem greenish or too pale walked off as though an inmate approaching an execution.

After all, the show had to go on.

* * *

Naruto's heart thumped while he made his way through the school's hallways, casting nervous glances at the people passing by, looking for any signs of recognition or resentment. There was nothing. All he met was curiosity that was usually expressed when meeting someone for the very first time. Some girls, he noticed with glee, gave him very appreciative glances.

In some other occasion it may have bothered him how no one seemed to even know he'd been here before. But now… He was more pleased than anything else.

He'd been planning on starting a new life. This was a perfect beginning.

" Hey!" He jumped a bit at the female voice, then looked over his shoulder to meet a brightly smiling girl with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. He wondered if the girl's smile was as clear fake as it appeared to be. " I'm Yamanaka Ino, one of the tutors. Are you a new student?"

He didn't even think before creating a huge grin and answering. " Yeah… Yeah, I am. I'm N – Naruto." He then cleared his throat to ensure that his voice would work properly the next time around. " Namikaze Naruto."

Ino nodded while writing something to the paper she'd been holding, seeming just about as interested as she would've been if he'd been a piece of meat. " Right…" She gave him a swift glance. " Just go in. They'll be starting in a bit."

He nodded and took a deep breath, then entered the school's huge auditorium as though he'd never been there before.

It was time for the show to begin.

* * *

TBC???

* * *

A/N: And so the masquerade begins. (huggles the two boneheads, although Sasuke keeps struggling violently) Poor things!

So, what do you think? Should this baby deserve a chance to go on, or should I declare this dead on arrival? It's your call. (gulps nervously)

**PLEASE, LEAVE A NOTE** before going, yeah? Awww, I know you want to. (gives huge puppy dog's eyes)

Awkay, it's getting VERY late around here and I have a nerve wrecking day ahead of me tomorrow, so I'll start tuning out.

Until next time, guys – be it with this story or some other!  
Be good!


	2. August

A/N: WOAH! I've been buzzing around madly all day, but now I FINALLY got the new chapter done! (squeals with delight and claps hands together)

Gosh, tons and TONS of thank yous for all those amazing reviews you've sent – I can't believe you liked the very first chappy THAT much! (blushes – and collapses, until someone throws in a bucket of icy water) THANK YOU – you can't even believe how precious your support has been to me! (GLOMPS, and offers some insanely delicious chocolate ice cream) **Anonymous reviewers**, your responses can be found from underneath the chappy. (grins)

Awrighty then, I think it's time to get started before you'll start throwing those pointy objects I can see. (sweatdrops) Enjoy, yeah?

* * *

CHAPTER 2: August (1)

* * *

Naruto's head buzzed madly while he entered the school's auditorium, only then realizing just how huge the room was.

It was almost ridiculously easy to pretend that he was a new student, because that was exactly how he felt at the moment. This really was a new beginning for him.

His thoughts were snapped cut when he collided with something warm and soft. Looking up, he met a boy with black hair and equally dark eyes that were currently glaring at him quite hazardously.

The old he would've probably fallen pale and sputtered apologies. It took his all to create a grin and speak without letting his voice crack. " Heh, sorry."  
The boy's eyes flashed. " Watch it, idiot."

He scoffed, feeling far bolder than usually – something about this jackass triggered a storm in him he'd never met before. " Geez, teme! It's not like I broke any of your bones." After thinking about it for a second he offered a hand. " I'm Uz… Namikaze Naruto. You'll better remember that name."

-

Sasuke just had to arch an eyebrow at this blonde. Never before had he been offered an insult and an introduction at one go – nor had anyone else stood tall under his glare like that.

This… Naruto seemed to be something different. Not that he would've been interested in any way whatsoever, though.

He never accepted the hand. " Hn."

" Sasuke." Peering over his shoulder, he found quite impatient looking Suigetsu. " Are you coming or not?"

He nodded, then glanced towards the blonde once more to meet a pair of fuming blue eyes. " Stay out of my way. Understood?"

" Don't worry", the other screeched, eyes narrowing slightly. " I wouldn't come anywhere near you even with a metre's stick."

Had such a sound been in his repertoire, he might've chuckled at that. Instead his expression remained nonchalant. " Hn." With that he turned around and started to walk towards Suigetsu. " Try not to harass any more people while you go, dobe. And tie that shoelace of yours, will you?"

-

Naruto stared at the boy's – Sasuke's – distancing back for a long time, made completely immobile by a rush in his head he couldn't understand. In the end he emitted a small growl. " Bastard."

" Trust me, you're not the only one who thinks so." He jumped with startle once hearing the male voice, then turned his head to find a boy with brown hair and dark eyes sitting nearby quite lazily. " I'm Shikamaru." The brunette gestured towards two other boys sitting with him. " These are Kiba and Shino."

He stared for a moment – not used to acceptance like this – then created a yet another grin. " I'm Naruto."

Shikamaru nodded, then motioned towards the empty chair beside him. " You'll better take a seat. It looks like this place is getting pretty packed up."

Feeling a huge bang of gratitude he accepted the invitation, wondering why his legs felt as weak as they did while he slumped to the seat. " Thanks."

" Hmh." Dark eyes then moved towards where Sasuke was sitting. " So… I see you already met Mr. Sunshine."

He quirked an eyebrow, unable to keep himself from glancing at the raven haired stranger. " Do you know that bastard?"

Shikamaru shrugged. " Only by his reputation and rumors. I think he was a skater or something in his former school."

His eyebrow rose even higher.

_So he's a _real_ ice prince._

" Why did he stop?" He couldn't understand why he felt the need to ask. It wasn't like he wanted to know anything about that jerk. Right?

" Too troublesome for me to find out", Shikamaru declared, taking a better position. " You should ask my ex, Ino. She lives and breathes on rumours – I'm pretty sure she'd know."

He decided to try and rip his head off of Sasuke, and also took a better position on his seat. " I've never understood rumours", he stated matter-of-factly. " Dedicating on them proves that one doesn't have a life of their own."

Shikamaru grinned, glancing towards Kiba and Shino. " Did you hear? That statement proves that this guy is one of us."

Shino made an indifferent sound, Kiba gave a smirk that revealed all his teeth while holding a thumb up. " Welcome to the pack, dude."

He sensed a warm, leak like sensation in his chest, and realized that he'd never been happier in his entire life. That joy was enough to chase away the guilt he was feeling for lying to these boys.

The whole room went completely quiet when a rather old with almost white hair stood before them. " Alright kids, welcome to Konoha Junior High. I'm Sarutobi Hizuren, the principal of this school." The man's expression hardened. " To those expecting an easy ride, I'm sorry to announce that none of you will be let out easily. You'll have to work hard for your grades, but I promise you it'll pay off." The man glanced towards the blonde haired girl who's guided Naruto in. " Without anything further… Ino will give you your classes so you can get to work. Enjoy your school year."

While discovering his class, he felt a small thud inside when noticing that Sasuke had been put into the same group.

He failed to notice Kiba's grin as well as the look the boy aimed towards him. " Now this should be a lot of fun."

He kept staring at the names with a dark expression, suddenly having a very bad feeling about all this.

Just then, he found himself wondering if he'd been an idiot thinking it'd be easy to start anew…

* * *

Ever since agreeing with her mother that trying to become more social was a good idea Hinata had had a feeling that she'd made a huge mistake.

That feeling didn't diminish the slightest when she rang a doorbell, then faced a slightly older boy with somewhat long grown black hair on a ponytail, and equally dark eyes around which she could see scars. The way he refused to meet her gaze made him seem distracted. " Yes?"

She swallowed thickly. " H-Hello. I'm Hyuuga H-Hinata, your m-mother called…"

The boy – Uchiha Itachi, as he'd been introduced to her – nodded, seeming very thoughtful. " She told me." He motioned her to come inside. " Well, now that you're here… Why don't you come in?"

She nodded quickly, and it took a while before she managed to produce a sound. " T-Thank you."

Silence that carried something sharp to it lingered while they walked through the mansion like house, she gawking around in awe.

Embarrassingly enough Itachi seemed to sense what she was doing. " I'm taking that as you like my home."

She felt a bright blush appearing. " I… I'm s-sorry."

The older boy shook his head, his back still to her. " It's not forbidden to take a look." Just then they came to what looked like a living room. The raven gestured towards a couch. " Sit down. If you'll be visiting here regularly, I think we should have a little talk."

She nodded, feeling that she had no permission to argue after acting like a fool once already. Just as she was about to sit, however, her gaze strayed to a huge, incredibly beautiful garden spreading outside the house. She gasped with disbelief, taking in all the colours and different flowers.

Itachi frowned. " What's wrong?"

It took a while before she could speak. " Y-Your garden, it's… a-amazing!"

Itachi's eyes filled with something she couldn't read, not turning towards the flowers. " Yes", he murmured. " Mother takes good care of it."

She nodded, unable to rip her gaze away from the sight. " Do you w-watch the flowers o-often?"

From the corner of her eye, she noticed how one side of Itachi's mouth twitched, and the unreadable look she'd seen before spread from his eyes to entire face. He spoke after a couple of seconds. " That… would be kind of difficult." He went on once sensing her confusion. " I'm blind."

She'd never blushed as badly as she did then, wanting to disappear from the face of the planet. Why on earth hadn't his mother told her about this? It took a long time before her voice worked. " I… I'm so s-sorry, I d-didn't mean t-to…"

The boy interrupted her with a shake of head and a tiny smile. " It's alright. I've accepted my… limitation long ago, so it doesn't bother me to talk about it."

She nodded, then spoke when remembering that he couldn't see the gesture. " O – Okay."

Most likely sensing her lingering discomfort, Itachi walked up to a window and opened it up with unbelievable ease. In a matter of seconds a dizzying, alluring scent of flowers filled their minds. The boy appeared satisfied when noticing that she relaxed. " This way, I can enjoy the garden as well."

Without saying a word, she walked cautiously to the boy, stood close enough to let him know she was there. Comfortable silence lingered while they remained perfectly still, marvelling the beauty before them in their own ways.

All of a sudden the pleasant afternoon was cut when there was a sound of a car's door slamming shut. She'd never seen anyone grow as tense as Itachi did then. " You should go", he all but whispered before she could ask a thing. He glanced towards her although he couldn't see. " I'll see you in three days, right?"

She felt beyond confused. " T-That's right."

While she left through a backdoor to which the boy guided her, she found herself wondering exactly to what she'd gotten herself into.

* * *

In school, Naruto's whole class went quiet the second a silver haired teacher with dark eyes appeared. " Sorry I'm late. I'm also new around here, so it took me a while to find this class. But now…" Something mischievous flashed by the man's face. " I'm Hatake Kakashi. You're supposed to study history, and I've been thinking that the best way to start is a good old fashioned pair project. At first I'll give you the list of pairs I've had in mind, then we'll think about the subjects."

Naruto was practically dozing off while listening to a numbing list of names, until certain ones caught his ears. " … Namikaze Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke…"

At first he stared at his teacher in utter disbelief. Once it dawned on him that this wasn't just some twisted joke, only his pride and new role kept him from slamming his head against a desk with full force. " You've gotta be kidding me…"

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. " Is there a problem?"

He stared for a moment, then created the best grin he could possibly muster. " Nope", he lied through tightly gritted teeth. " None whatsoever."

Kakashi nodded. " Good. In that case get to work, unless you wish to continue after school."

As soon as the man's focus was elsewhere, he all but glared at Sasuke, the shyness he'd once had forgotten. " Now this will be fun…", he muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm he didn't even try to hide.

Sasuke didn't seem an ounce more excited. " Just keep your nose out of my business and this won't turn out to be unbearably unpleasant. Can you do that?"

At that moment he couldn't hold it in any longer. Emitting a barely audible groan he allowed his head to fall against the table before him.

Had he listened to himself more carefully, he might've noticed that the way his heart hammered, how his blood boiled and the heat sneaking to his cheeks had _nothing_ to do with distaste…

-

The two were too worked up to notice Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino looking at them.

" I bet hundred yens that those two will end up killing each other before this project is over with", Kiba announced.

" I'm in", Shikamaru stated, a thoughtful look in his eyes. " Because I sense that there's something else approaching."

Kiba seemed confused for a moment, then almost choked on his breath. " You've… gotta be kidding me!" Once realizing that the Nara wasn't joking, the boy laughed loudly (ignoring the looks everyone around gave him), and looked towards Shino. " Are you in, too? Because this is getting just too hilarious."

Shino shook his head, appearing amused. " You two are both idiots."

Kiba smirked, ruffling the boy's dark hair. " Yeah. And that's why you hang around us." The class then took a recess, and the three got up. " Now let's go and save Naruto before that teme really does kill him. Because it seriously doesn't seem too far off."

-

What they didn't know was that there was also a second set of eyes watching Naruto and Sasuke.

Zaku's lips twitched oddly while he stared at the blonde. His eyes then flashed when a realization came, and a small, cruel smile appeared.

Kin, who was sitting beside him, gave him a look. " That expression always promises something good."

" Yes", he all but purred, revealing his teeth. " I just remembered why that blondie looked so familiar to me."

Kin frowned. " What good is that?"

He leaned his chin against his hands. " I'm not completely sure yet", he confessed. His eyes hardened when moving to Sasuke. " But it looks like I'll finally have a chance to get some old dues paid…"

* * *

Sakura, who'd been finishing up a painting she'd started for what felt like a decade earlier, found her hand twitching when someone entered the room. One of her eyebrows rose when she found none other than Hyuuga Neji. " I didn't know you're into art as well", she pointed out.

The boy folded his arms. " I'm not." There was a moment's pause while the brunette visibly mused how to set his words. " I… came to ask for a favour." The boy's voice sounded so strange that it was easy to tell how much it took of him to say those words.

She frowned. She was very familiar with the boy's reputation when it came to female population – wildest stories told that he'd charmed every single one of the girls he'd laid his eyes on. He was exactly the type of a guy she'd always detested – rich and spoiled, used to getting everything and everyone he wanted. That's why she was far from thrilled by where this was going. " Help with what?" she inquired, not bothering to hide her reluctance. There was no point in sending false signals.

" French", the Hyuuga stated, and she was fairly sure she could see his embarrassment although he worked furiously to hide it. " Kurenai said that if my grades don't go up, I'll fail."

She didn't manage to hide her shock. Hyuuga Neji – a genius and a prodigy, one of the school's top students – failing something as easy as French? She forced her expression into becoming impassive. " Sorry, but I'm very busy right now."

" You're the best student in the entire group." Ah, so the boy wasn't giving up yet. Pale eyes were demanding when clashing with hers. " Twice a week, that's all. I'll be able to pay you."

She mused that she must've been out of her mind. But she did need the money, desperately, so she didn't really have a choice. " Fine", she all but snarled. " But this deal only includes studying, understood? And you'll have to pay me well."

The boy nodded, seeming as unreadable as always. " Of course."

Without granting him even a single look she started to leave. " See you next Wednesday." As an afterthought she added. " Remember to bring your book along this time, will you?"

For some reason she had a feeling that she'd just sealed her fate.

-

As soon as the girl had left, Neji heard his friend Lee entering the room. The other boy had something that look like amusement or bemusement upon his face while black eyes looked towards where the pinkette had gone. " My youthful friend, I'm afraid you just took in far more than you can chew."

He shrugged. " Maybe." His eyes strayed towards the painting the girl had been making. It was a breathtakingly beautiful picture of two birds playing around. " But I'm willing to take my chances."

He'd never wanted anything this badly in his entire life. And he was determined to prove Sakura that he wasn't playing around this time.

-

Once she left the classroom, Sakura quirked her eyebrow a bit at what she found.

Not too far away a boy with black hair and even darker eyes was looking around with a small piece of paper, a thick frown suggesting that he'd been searching for quite a while already. " Are you lost?"

The boy's eyes rose to meet hers, sending a shiver through her. " Are you Haruno Sakura?"

She was about to ask how he knew, but then concluded that Ino had probably told him to look for a girl with pink hair. She nodded. " Yeah." She examined him with her gaze. " I… guess I'm supposed to be your tutor."

He didn't appear all that ecstatic. " Uchiha Sasuke." Something told her that she wasn't going to get much more than that out of him that afternoon. It didn't bother her that much at the moment, though – she was still wrestling with the turmoil Neji had managed to cause.

" So…" She thought for a moment before starting out. " Let me start with what you absolutely have to remember if you want to make it out of this school in full sanity…"

* * *

It was already pretty late when Naruto found his legs dragging him to Hayate's classroom for some reason.

Hearing his steps the man looked towards him, then spoke after some coughs. " I'm sorry, but I haven't had the time to read through the texts you sent just yet."

He shook his head. " That's… not the only reason I came." He hesitated for the longest time and ran a hand through his hair, still surprised by how short they were. " I just… It feels odd to face this all for the first time again." _To lie to every single person I meet_, he added mentally.

Hayate coughed again, then frowned when examining him with worried eyes. " Is there something wrong?"

He shook his head, smiling genuinely for the pretty much first time that day. " Nah. I'm just… thinking too much, I suppose."

The man looked at him for a while, then nodded, apparently satisfied with his honest answer. " Okay. Just remember that if anything at all comes up, my door is always open."

A thin trace of his smile remained. " Thanks." He meant it, from the very bottom of his heart.

After a small moment of silence Hayate started to move. " You know what?" The man coughed. " I've almost finished up everything I was supposed to do today. I can give you a ride if you like."

" Thanks, but I need some fresh air." He waved a hand, starting to leave. " I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Hayate coughed once more, also waving a hand. " Of course." Just before he was out the man spoke once more. " Oh, and Naruto?" The older went on when meeting his eyes. " You're a great kid. These people are idiots if they fail to see it again."

After giving the brightest of his grins as a response he left.

-

Hayate looked at the direction to which Naruto had disappeared for a while until his eyes moved to the paper he was holding. It was one of those works the blonde had given him at the beginning of the summer before. He frowned when taking a look at the title.

' _The Life Of A Shadow_'

* * *

For some reason Naruto found his way to a small lake not too far away from the orphanage. The slight tension he'd been feeling all day disappeared while he allowed his gaze to linger on the landscape – clear, still water, cliffs surrounding the lake, trees, singing of birds, all the colours most didn't even notice.

Ever since he was a kid this had been his favourite place in the entire world. This was his sanctuary, where he could always be alone without any disturbances.

Or that's how it'd been, because sounds that didn't belong to nature disturbed the calm atmosphere.

As though following some strange sensation inside, he frowned and looked up to a cliff towering above the water. His heart jumped for some reason at what he found.

On top of the rocks stood Sasuke, wearing only a pair of loose looking pants, and he couldn't help noticing the boy's very well built chest. The Uchiha's onyx eyes stared at the water below with breathtaking intensity, filled with concentration.

It took a while, but eventually it all started to hit him.

Sasuke… was standing there, looking fully ready to take the final step.

Sasuke was going to jump.

And before that thought was properly finished the raven was already falling, straight towards awaiting depths.

He had no idea of what drove him into it, but he was moving before even properly thinking about his actions, kicking off his shoes and dashing towards the water. Once meeting the waterline he gasped at the coldness closing him in, but refused to stop. He was swimming about ten seconds after the Uchiha hit the lake.

With how clear the water was it wasn't hard for him to find the Uchiha, who was sinking steadily towards awaiting bottom. His arms wrapped around the other's slender waistline, holding firmly although the boy fought quite hard against his hold. After a moment he hauled them to surface, and managed to drag both of them to a shore.

Once there they both gasped, out of breath and feeling dizzy. " You… moron…", he finally managed, his blood rushing with such a speed that he forgot about all his guardedness. He all but glared at the raven. " Why… the hell did… you do something like that? Are you… out of your mind? If I hadn't been here…!" He trailed off, not even wanting to think of the rest.

Sasuke grit teeth so loudly that he could hear it. " I'm fine, you idiot", the raven snarled, seeming ready to kill him. " I wasn't going to get myself killed – I'm pretty capable of looking after myself."

He blinked for a couple of moments before managing to gather his composure. He folded his arms and rolled his eyes, so wrapped up into his new role that the gesture came easily. " It didn't look like that to me."

The raven's eyes flashed, already significantly calmer than before. " Just don't touch me _ever_ again." With that the boy turned around and started to walk away with steps that seemed heavy to him.

He frowned and couldn't help asking although he knew he was digging his own grave. " Hey." To his bafflement the Uchiha actually stopped. " Are you sure you're okay?"

There was a sound he couldn't identify. " I told you not to butt in, didn't I?"

As the boy kept walking away, he growled. " Bastard."

He could've sworn he heard " Idiot" as a response.

He couldn't understand why, but a tiny part of him would've wanted nothing more than to run after the raven. And he wasn't able to keep himself from wondering if it'd been a shadow or a bruise he'd seen decorating the boy's other eye.

He'd been standing there for a couple of minutes until he snarled, remembering something.

Danzou would kill him if he'd show up late to even one more dinner. He'd have to hurry.

While sauntering away, he fought hard to keep himself from sighing.

It was time to face reality again.

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) According to my knowledge, in Japan summer break ends on August 28. Please do correct me if I'm wrong – my knowledge of Japanese school system is dishearteningly poor!

A/N: And the heat is on – our beloved boneheads have officially been introduced. (grins cheekily) But what the heck is Zaku doing there ruining everything?! (glares)

Agh, I REALLY have to get going now, so this'll be one of my shortest a/n:s ever. **PLEASE**, do tell me if you want to read more and what you thought about the chappy, yeah?

'Til next time – whatever story that shall be with…!

Take care!

* * *

**maskedgoddess**: You want to read more? Awww – I'm so happy to hear that! (smirks with happiness)

Well, seeing as you asked so kindly… I suppose I have no other choice but to update, do I…? (grins)

Monumental thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll be sticking around for more.

-

**zlasla**: Yosh – I'm so happy to hear you liked the first chappy! (smirks, eyes sparkling with joy)

Gigantic thank yous for the review! 'Hope you'll be looking forward to the rest as well.


	3. September

A/N: GAAAAH – I'm so sorry! It's taken me AGES to update. (winces) Once again I'm forced to use my busy schedule as an excuse – I've been pretty swamped lately. BUT, now the new chapter is FINALLY here! (cheers loudly)

Before getting to the business… Thank you so much for those FANTASTIC review! (HUUUGS) Gosh, how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel to know there's a number like that of you who want this to continue. MERCI! (**Anonymous reviews**, your responses can be found from underneath the chappy, dattebayo.)

Awkay, because this updating has taken FAR too long already… LET'S GO! I truly hope you'll have a great ride.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: September

* * *

That morning of early September, Hayate had almost dozed off in one of the school's smallest rooms when he suddenly blinked once feeling a kiss on his neck. Looking over his shoulder, he arched an eyebrow when finding Yuugao, who had a somewhat strange expression upon her face. He coughed. " What was that for?"

She shrugged. " No reason." She then seemed to gather courage before speaking. " Look… There's something we should talk about."

She never got a chance to finish, because just then there was an almost cautious knock on the room's door. He was ready to growl at whoever the person interrupting the moment was, but changed his mind when discovering Naruto. " Hey." He caught on in a couple of moments and coughed thrice. " You came for the essays, right?"

The blonde nodded, stiffening visibly. " Was there… something wrong with them?"

His expression softened. " No. Quite the opposite, actually." He looked at the teen for a little while, nearly startled by how much the blonde had changed in such a short time. He went on after a bout of coughs had subsided. " You write better than most people half older than you."

Naruto seemed shocked for a moment, then beamed. " Really?"

He nodded, smiling himself. " Yeah. And…" He wasn't sure if he should've told this one yet, but he couldn't control his tongue when facing the boy's joy. " I have a friend in this pretty good school that's specialized in literature." He coughed once more." I don't want to get your hopes too up yet, but if he likes what he reads as much as I did…" He sunk into a meaningful silence.

Naruto's eyes widened to a dramatic extend before the boy suddenly all but jumped forward, closing him into a huge bear hug. " Thank you, thank you so much!" The teen's blue eyes sparkled while the blonde started to all but dash away. " I can't wait to get to see Sasuke-teme's expression when he hears about this!"

A knowing look rose to his face. " Sasuke-teme?"

The boy was already almost out. " Thank you! 'Talk to you later – I'm already late!"

" My gosh…", he murmured, his eyes somewhere between worried and amazed. He coughed yet again. " That kid's a real thunderbolt." His tone, however, told everything necessary.

Yuugao smiled a bit while observing him with her gaze. " That's good to know."

He looked at her, blinking with confusion he didn't even try to hide. " What is?"

The woman simply shook her head with a mysterious expression. " Not yet." She then gave him a long, tender kiss. " I've got a small zoo waiting for me, and so do you. See you later, okay?"

He couldn't do a thing before she'd already left.

As soon as he was functional, he groaned a bit and coughed once more, shaking his head.

He'd need a lot of luck to be able to maintain his sanity until the end of the school year…

* * *

Before they ever got started, Sakura had had a feeling that her tutoring sessions with Neji would be far from pleasant. Nonetheless it surprised her just how frustrated they made her.

She groaned heavily after their fifth tutoring session had lasted for over an hour, feeling ready to slam her head against a table. " Neji, for crying out loud… You've got the IQ of a genius!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with helplessness. " And still it's apparently impossible for you to learn something like this – you even failed a word test!

Neji gave her a somewhat annoyed look. " Je suis moins doué que toi", he all but growled. His French was by no means perfect, but understandable.

She stared for a moment, then scoffed with a roll of eyes. " Well, it looks like you've learned at least something."

What was that flash she saw? " Hn."

Just then, they could both hear what was close to shouts from a nearby hallway. She groaned again, burying her face into her hands while recognizing one of the voices.

_Why do I always get the most annoying cases?!_

Neji gave her a look. " I suppose we'll carry on from here the next time." His voice was too toneless for her to be able to tell what he was thinking.

She nodded sourly, getting up. " See you later."

She was already walking away when the boy's voice stopped her. " Sakura." She didn't turn around, but braked to listen. " What I did… I'm not proud of it, you know?"

She stood frozen by something close to a stun, then started to walk again, steps sharp.

-

As soon as Sakura had left, Lee appeared into view. " I still don't get it", the boy announced, his bushy eyebrows furrowed with confusion. " Why did you fail that word test on purpose – was it because of her?"

Neji shrugged, leaning back in his chair. " There's something I want her to understand. And I won't give up until she figures it out."

-

It didn't take Sakura long to find Sasuke and who she feared would turn out to be Naruto (her newest poor soul to be tutored), who seemed just about ready to start out a fistfight. 'Dobes' and 'temes', along with even less flattering nicknames flew so that everyone stood close enough to see the boys watched, as though following a tennis match.

At that moment – with the extremely frustrating day's events making her boil over – Sakura simply had enough. Her moves were rougher than she'd first indented while she grabbed both boys by one ear. " Listen to me, you two", she all but hissed. " I'm afraid I'm supposed to be a tutor for both of you, and I'm not planning on letting you destroy what there's left of my sanity. So either you at least try to get along, or I'll make sure you'll both end up to the absolutely worst tutors you could ever imagine, understood?"

Naruto blinked whereas Sasuke glared.

" U – Understood." " Hmph."

She nodded, mostly to herself. " Good." Then, with some of the fume she'd been holding in subsiding, she looked towards Naruto. " Now… As amusing as it'd be to watch you two kill each other, the teachers wouldn't appreciate it. So let's go."

Once she'd turned around, Sakura couldn't keep herself from smiling a little while shaking her head.

_Why do I have a feeling that those two are going to be a hazard to my mental stability…?_

-

Naruto pouted while following Sakura.

He'd been lucky enough to have someone as cute as she as his tutor, and now – just when they finally had their first tutoring session – Sasuke had to meet him first and mess up everything.

_Stupid teme_, he mused sulkily.

Yet he couldn't really fight off the bristling he felt underneath his skin in the aftermath of he and Sasuke's yet another 'conversation', although he still naively thought it was caused by rage and detest. And this tiny part in him he was determined to smother couldn't wait for the next blow out.

* * *

Hinata had to confess that at first, she'd found her days with Itachi… awkward, to say the least. But quite soon she'd found herself feeling more and more comfortable around him. And by the time September was just starting, she was already looking forward to their meetings.

That sunny day they'd been doing nothing special by the time she walked around the Uchiha manor's living room, humming just a little bit (which was something she did often around Itachi to make sure he knew where she was) while waiting for the boy to finish a phone call that'd apparently been important.

In the end her eyes got lost to a piano that seemed very old, sitting alone and abandoned in the most shadowy corner of the room.

Intruding and touching something that wasn't hers was against all her principles, but after not having been allowed to use any musical instruments whatsoever for ten years the temptation was just too much.

She swallowed thickly and – after making sure Itachi wasn't coming back – walked up to the piano and sat to a tiny bench placed before it, shivering uncontrollably. It took long before her mind and fingers managed to work, remembered what to do. She frowned soon, knowing that something was missing, but went on anyhow.

She'd been playing about five minutes until Itachi's voice startled her so badly that she jumped. " You're mixing up two keys." After a couple of moments he was stood beside her, his unseeing eyes softer than she'd ever seen them while darting towards the piano. His fingers brushed the keys lightly, carelessly, and she gasped faintly at the amazing melody that followed. " That's how you should do it."

Her cheeks felt unbearably hot, and even without a mirror she was far too aware of the scarlet red blush that'd appeared. " I… I'm s-sorry, I didn't m-mean to intrude."

Itachi shook his head, seeming close to chuckling or smiling. " No one's played that thing since…" His voice faded for a while. " It's good to hear it again."

She nodded, fairly sure that the boy saw it somehow. " O-Okay." Then, realizing that she'd done nothing wrong, she managed to regain some composure. " W-Would you… p-play with me?" She swallowed hard, her blush from before intensifying still. " I… I'd like t-to learn."

Itachi seemed mildly surprised, then nodded. " Of course."

No words were needed while he fetched himself a chair, then took a seat beside her. As soon as he'd sat their fingers started to move, their melodies mixing together so well that it almost terrified her.

While they played together – her mind whirring, both her fingers and cheeks on fire – she could only piece together one thought.

_What… is happening to me?_

-

They were blissfully unaware of the flaming eyes observing them.

Fugaku Uchiha clenched his fists and teeth while listening to the music.

He'd seen enough gold diggers in his life to know one, he mused. And this… Hinata… He didn't like the way she was already wrapping Itachi around her little finger.

He took a sip from the glass in his hand, his eyes darkening.

He'd have to come up with a solution before something would be broken irreparably.

* * *

About a week later, it was easy for Naruto to pretend that he was a new student when he entered Konoha's gym hall with Shikamaru. He'd never been there before – the orphanage didn't do trips to such places, and he'd skipped gym classes whenever he could to hide just how unglamorous his life was. Had the situation been different, he might've been thrilled. At the moment he was terrified.

Shikamaru seemed mildly amused when glancing towards him. " You also don't care about swimming classes too much, do you?"

He grinned sheepishly, shivering uncontrollably and fighting with himself to not run away. " I just don't like water, that's all."

Shikamaru shrugged. " Whatever." The boy then winced a bit. " Wait for me a couple of seconds, will you? Nature's calling." With that the brunette started to all but dash away.

He stood frozen for several moments, watching people passing by and wondering what he should do. Then, so suddenly that it overwhelmed him, a bizarre sensation of calling flashed right through him.

At first he wasn't entirely sure what drew his attention while he started to walk without thinking. Then his ears caught strange sounds he recognized after a couple of moments.

Was someone… skating?

Giving in to his curiosity and deciding that being late wouldn't be so bad, he turned around and sneaked his way towards a hallway that'd hopefully open a view to a skating-rink that was open all year around. What he found certainly wasn't what he'd expected. For there on the ice was none other than Sasuke, all but dancing. There was music playing in the background, and with his stun it took him a long time to recognize the song that was one of his favorites.

_Prince Igor._

He blinked while watching the raven spin around time after time, eyes closed and face carrying so many things that he couldn't distinguish them all. Then, apparently not feeling dizzy at all, the Uchiha started to move forward in a breathtaking speed, whirling around every once in a while when going.

He knew he should've fled the scene before the boy would see him, but he couldn't help himself. He remained captivated, and his feelings drifted between admiration and envy while he mused that every single movement seemed absolutely perfect.

Suddenly, Sasuke jumped while the music picked up, and he held his breath subconsciously while the raven spun around in the air, eventually landing on one leg. This was repeated so many times that he started to feel dizzy.

Then, so unexpectedly that he blinked yet again, the music stopped, as did Sasuke. The Uchiha remained perfectly still with his back to him for a long time before starting to leave the rink as though nothing had ever happened.

He gasped a bit, although he wasn't the one who'd been doing the exercising. His heart thumped as though he'd ran a marathon, and there was slight heat on his cheeks.

" So it looks like he's pretty good." Shikamaru's voice startled him much worse than he would've liked to admit. He discovered the boy looking at Sasuke's distancing back with barely traceable admiration.

He scoffed and folded his arms. " Whatever. But I still don't get why that bastard was excused from swimming classes."

Shikamaru smirked. " Meh, I'm pretty sure the fact that he's a mighty Uchiha helped out. I mean, his father practically owns half of the world, or so I've heard." The boy then looked towards a clock and winced. " We should go. I bet Asuma would make it troublesome for us if we'd be late."

He nodded, realizing that his confusion lingered persistently. He glanced over his shoulder while going, and felt surprisingly troubled when seeing no trace of Sasuke.

Why did he have a feeling that he'd just seen a lot more than a mere skating practice session?

Soon enough, however, nervousness replaced other confusion while his mind started to catch on with what he'd have to do soon. He gulped so loudly that he was surprised Shikamaru didn't hear it.

At the moment, he hoped dearly he would've been able to skip the upcoming classes as well.

* * *

Shikamaru had never liked swimming too much. That's why he was too worked up by muttering darkly under his breath to notice that he was about to run into Naruto – who was walking nearby him with an uncharacteristically grave expression – until they actually collided.

The blonde's towel – which the boy had wrapped firmly around himself – slipped, revealing the skin of the other's back. Blue eyes flew wide with what looked almost like terror. " H – Hey…!" The boy's lips moved, but no sound came.

He blinked a bit with confusion before managing to speak out. " Sorry." Then, as though something inside him had whispered him to look downwards, he lowered his gaze to the blonde's back – and couldn't keep himself from gasping ever so slightly. " What the…?!"

There, decorating pale skin, were huge, deep looking scars. Burn marks.

He looked directly in the boy's eyes, not managing to disguise his emotions. " Where the heck did you get those from?"

Naruto swallowed laboriously, but was spared from having to answer, for just then Asuma's voice boomed. " Kids, move it – stalling isn't going to save you from this! This is obligatory."

Naruto disappeared before he could even blink.

Kiba, who appeared beside him just then, frowned with confusion. " What was that about?"

He shrugged, deep in thought. " 'Wish I knew." He then started to move. " Now let's get going before Asuma rips us to shreds."

In only two days he'd forgotten all about the scars. (It was less than a year later he wondered if it'd been a huge mistake.)

-

Neither Shikamaru nor Naruto knew that someone else had seen the marks as well.

Dosu's one eyebrow was high up while the boy looked towards where Naruto had disappeared. " Now that was weird."

Zaku grinned toothily, barely even hearing. His eyes flashed as though he'd spotted an easy prey.

It appeared all his presumptions had been proven correct. He'd just found a perfect tool to help with his little plan…

* * *

Two more weeks flew by, and September started to approach its end. The disturbing swimming lessons became forgotten, and with each and every day Naruto found it easier to hide his little secret from everyone, including his new friends. (Scarily easy, he mused at times.)

Naruto was twitching on his seat with boredom while waiting for a math class to begin. He'd been feeling edgy all day – he just wanted to get out of the school so he'd be able to relax and think at least somewhat clearly. At the moment he barely managed to pay attention to the ridiculous debate Shikamaru was having with Kiba over some girl they both had set their eyes on.

All of a sudden he blinked with surprise when a rather rough force pushed him from behind. He groaned when looking to side and discovering that Sasuke was the one responsible. " Hey, watch it, teme!"

The raven took his own seat, paying practically no attention to him. " Hn."

His left eyebrow twitched violently. " Are you looking for a match or something, bastard? Because if you are…"

Very slowly Sasuke's dark eyes – which seemed perfectly passive – turned towards him. " No." The boy stretched his words, appearing bored. " I wouldn't waste my time on something that pathetic."

" What?!" He then growled loudly, walked close to the other and squeezed the raven's desk so hard that his nails must've left marks. " You arrogant, stuck up…"  
His rant never made it much further from there, because just then when a brown haired boy from their class – Tobio – walked past them quite unsteadily, carrying a huge pile of books. (1) " Coming through, coming through…"

To Naruto and Sasuke – who were currently engaged to an intense staring contest – that warning came too late. Tobio pushed Naruto quite hard, sending the blonde crashing forward – and straight against Sasuke. Their eyes widened dramatically while their lips locked.

For quite a number of seconds time stood absolutely still, with the two of them paralyzed by shock and everyone staring at them, until they finally managed to pull apart, coughing loudly and making gagging sounds.

" You… idiot!" Sasuke snarled. " What the hell did you think you were doing?!"

He shuddered, wiping his lips to erase Sasuke's taste from them. " Don't flatter yourself, teme", he growled grumpily. " That was an accident, okay?"

The raven's murderous glare spoke much louder than any words.

Just then the classroom's door opened, and Hayate entered. The man blinked a bit at the sight before him – the two apparently traumatized boys and everyone else still gazing at them with shocked expressions – then spoke. " I… probably don't even want to know." The man coughed for a couple of times. " Genma is sick, so I'll be your teacher today." During some more coughs the class finally started to settle down. " Let's start from page thirty five."

Managing to escape from Sasuke's 'You're not about to get away with this that easily' –look, Naruto gave a loud, shuddering sigh, his heart thumping with something close to rage and other feelings he couldn't quite grasp on. He remained in a sulking silence for the entire class, sunken deep into his thoughts.

Considering how much thinking he did during the next forty five minutes, it was amusing that he didn't manage to gather that a part of him wasn't all that horrified by the corsage things had just taken…

* * *

After the class, Hayate was fully certain that something fishy was going on, and that he needed to talk to Naruto. Fortunately, it took the visibly confused boy a lot longer than the others to get his things gathered together, so he got his chance.

He coughed a couple of times before speaking. " Naruto… What's going on between you and Sasuke?" The boy tensed up a bit but didn't speak, which confirmed his suspicions. He coughed again. " I can tell he's troubling you."

For just a moment the boy seemed ready to give a flood of speech, but in the end settled with creating a rather wobbly grin and picking up his back bag. " Sorry, but I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later." The blonde had disappeared before he could take a breath.

He frowned, breaking into a yet another fit of coughs.

Just then another teacher, Kotetsu Hagane, entered the classroom, glancing towards the direction to which Naruto had disappeared. " So… how's your 'new student' doing? Is he settling in any better than the last time around?" (2)

His frown remained while he drifted in thoughts. " Who knows." He coughed once. " I'm afraid we can't do more than wait and see how the drama unfolds."

* * *

Naruto's head had never been whirring the way it did when he returned to the orphanage that day. He was fuming – with fury and something else – as well as confused and embarrassed.

_That damn teme!_, he roared at himself in a lack of a better target. _And he dares to blame it all on me…!_

He stomped into the room he shared with Gaara, then froze with a couple of blinks. " What… are you doing?"

Right before him, the redhead was climbing out a window. The boy's eyes flashed when spotting him. " I'm… going to see Deidara."

His shuddered. " Danzou's going to kill you if he ever finds out", he all but piped out. Was Gaara out of his mind?!

The redhead looked downwards, eyes flashing. " I… don't care, Naruto." Emitting a sound of exasperation, the boy continued his escapade. " Look, Deidara thinks I'm avoiding him already. I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay?" With that the other disappeared.

For a long moment he stared at the open window, then sighed heavily and walked up to close it. Faint sounds of a disappearing motorcycle carried to his ears. The shivers he felt then had nothing to do with a cold breeze.

It seemed like he wasn't the only who'd managed to get his life tangled up.

* * *

Yes, Gaara had participated to parties before – much more often than would've been good for his health. But for some reason he found himself feeling anxious when following his boyfriend through a huge hall that was flashing with coloured lights, as though he'd expected something bad to happen.

" Geez!" Deidara's voice snapped him out of the whatever daze he'd been in. " You've looked like a zombie for fifteen minutes already."

He groaned a bit. " I'm fine, okay? I was just thinking."

His words were, however, proven to be a lie only a little bit later. For just then such emotions washed over him that he just couldn't ignore them.

He felt extremely cold shivers all of a sudden, then – as though in a slowed motion – turned his gaze. His head spun in an instant and he felt detached from reality when meeting a much too familiar person, whom he'd thought he'd never see again.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, but the image remained.

The same long, white hair. The same green eyes. It was as though the past three years had never even happened.

Deidara gave him a weird look. " What's with the face?"

He'd always been good at concealing his emotions. His eyes, however, strayed towards the direction in which he'd just seen the white haired. There was no one. " I just… thought I saw someone I used to… know."

The blonde shrugged, apparently losing his interest. " Let's go. I want you to meet the rest of the Akatsuki."

He nodded, his head still whirring.

Somehow he had a feeling that it would've been a smart idea to start preparing himself for a storm.

* * *

Itachi's ears twitched ever so slightly at the sound of a door opening. He frowned a bit until he recognized familiar steps. " Sasuke?" His frown then deepened. " Is something wrong?"

" I'm fine." It sounded hollow, automatic. He felt something close to tension in the air. " Is… father home?"

He shook his head, slightly confused. " Why are you asking?"

" No reason." Hard as he tried, he couldn't tell if that was a lie or not. Sasuke started to walk away. " Could you tell him that he shouldn't bother me for four hours? I've got schoolwork." As an afterthought the boy added. " And remember to take your medicine."

" Sasuke." He could feel tension in the air when his brother stopped to listen. " You can still tell me anything. You do know that, right?"

There was a long moment of silence until he heard a tiny breath before words came. " Yeah." His brother sounded heartbreakingly young all of a sudden. For a while it was utterly silent, as though the younger boy had been fighting with himself, until steps started to distance. " Like I said, I've… got a lot to do. I'll talk to you later."

He nodded, then followed the sounds of Sasuke although he couldn't see a thing. Coldness filled him, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

He'd never been an idiot. He knew how his younger brother had tried to protect him ever since _those_ events. But he didn't need eyes to be able to tell that something was badly wrong.

He just hoped he or someone else would be able to pinpoint what it was before it'd be too late.

* * *

When Naruto walked into the school the next day, he already had a dark feeling that something extremely unpleasant would follow soon. He wasn't mistaken.

He frowned when Zaku, Dosu and Kin circled him in a tiny hallway, where no one could see them. " Hello there, blondie", Zaku – who appeared to be leading the pack – greeted in a dangerous tone. " We were already waiting for you."

He frowned, preparing himself for absolutely anything. " What do you want?" he snarled.

Zaku shrugged. " Just a little favour, that's all." The boy's eyes flashed hazardously. " You see, we found out your little… secret."

His heart thumped, and he couldn't keep his eyes from widening.

_Oh… shit!_

Zaku shook his head, as though reading his mind. " No, I didn't mean your real identity, although that's already pretty amusing. I meant your other secret. You know, the bigger one?" The boy shook his head again. " I can't believe you were stupid enough to think no one would find out."

He started to feel so giddy that he must've fallen pale, and only shock kept him from sprinting away.

" Now… You've got two options." Zaku seemed pleased, obviously very much aware of his discomfort. " Either you play nicely with us for a while, or we'll tell _everyone_ about your secret. You can immediately kiss your life in Konoha goodbye if we do."

His chest heaved while his brain buzzed, desperate to find a solution. In the end he realized that there was none.

He glared at the boy. " What the hell do you want me to do?"

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) Some of you may remember this guy from the early days of the anime/manga, and know what's going to happen next… (grins)

2) Yup, this means exactly what you think – all the teachers know about Naruto's 'secret'. (They kinda have to, no? After all, they're supposed to be responsible adults.)

(Oh yes, and to those who don't know French! That sentence of Neji meant " I'm not as gifted as you" – or that's what my current knowledge says…)

* * *

**POLL TIME!**

Do you want this story to have a male, or female Kimimaro? There'll be a relationship anyway, but… It's your call, SO VOTE, please!

* * *

A/N: GAH! (hisses at Zaku) That bastard's seriously giving poor Naruto a hard time, isn't he?

Yet again it's getting very, VERY late, so I've gotta start tuning out about now. (winces)

**PLEASE**, do review – and vote! It's a rare treat that you've actually got the chance to make a difference, so make the most of it. (grins) As for a bribe, I haven't ran out of special treats yet, and with Christmas approaching there may even be special surprises…

'Til next time – I really hope you're all still in the ride then!

Be good!

* * *

**lala**: Hooray! You can't even imagine how happy I am to hear you've found the story interesting thus far. (grins)

Mountain sized thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll join in for the next spins as well.


	4. October

A/N: Maaaaaaaan, has it taken time! (winces) This chapter definitely wasn't delivered easily, BUT now it's finally here, as a Christmas present to you guys. (grins and claps hands together happily)

FIRST, of course… Awww, thank you so much for those wonderful reviews! (HUUUUGS, and hands cookies) You know that they mean a lot to me, right? THANK YOU! (**Responses to anonymous reviews** shall of course be found from underneath the chappy, un.)

Heh, seeing how long I've made you wait already, I think it's high time to get going already. So, without further babblings… Let's rock on, un!

* * *

CHAPTER 4: October

* * *

If there was one class Sasuke didn't detest with passion even in this new school, it was physical education. For a while he got to lose himself into a foreign world where none of the crap he faced pretty much every day existed.

Though that day, he came to discover that even those classes wouldn't bring him much ease.

A snarl erupted from deep within his throat when his kendo stick all but slammed against Naruto's throat. " That was the sixth time in a row I won, deadlast. _Now_ are you ready to quit?"

Blue eyes lit into a flame. " No!" The blonde took a fighting stance. " I'll beat you even if it's the last thing I do, believe it!"  
He rolled his eyes. " Whatever. Just don't blame the bruises on me, okay?"

Though, if he was completely honest with himself… As they spun around each other, snapping occasional insults, he felt better than he remembered feeling in a long time.

-

Naruto, on the other hand, found his heart thumping while adrenaline flowed along with the words echoing inside his head.

/ _" I want you… to play a little game with me, _Uzumaki._"_ /

His eyes narrowed while he struck forward.

/ _" Keep up that little masquerade of yours. Wrap Sasuke around your little finger. And when he's there… Drop him from those heights he lives in – and do it hard."_ /

His breath wheezed with fury directed towards himself as well as Zaku.

/ _" And what if I say no?"_

_A brutal grin revealed a row of flawless predator's teeth. __" Then, Naruto-kun… __There'll be nothing left of this silly little charade of yours."_ /

He gasped once he felt something hard behind his back all of a sudden, and groaned when realizing that Sasuke had managed to trap him against a wall. Irritation could be seen clearly in the boy's eyes. " If you want to beat me, train harder. But as for now we're through – I'm sick and tired of throwing you all over the place."

He growled, and was just about to say something, but changed his mind when finally noticing two things that'd most likely been visible all along. There were dark circles around Sasuke's eyes, and the boy's skin was even paler than usually. And on the raven's arm, he could see a huge, most definitely painful bruise.

He frowned. _I didn't strike that hard, did I?_ He looked into those dark eyes, trying to find answers. " Sasuke… Are you okay?" He glanced towards the bruise briefly. " That one's gotta hurt. Where did you get it from?"

So fast that it surprised him (_too_ fast, he was too naïve to understand) the other covered his arm, eyes narrowing. " None of your business, idiot."

His eyes flashed yet again. " Stop calling me that – I was only trying to be nice!" He frowned with what he could only identify as worry. " What's up with you?"

The raven's eyes flashed with something close to fury as the boy understood that answering was the only way to make him shut up. " I just had nightmares, so I didn't sleep well, okay? Now leave me alone, will you?"

He wanted to speak out, but the one time he would've needed his voice it'd abandoned him. And with him being only able to watch the other walked away.

In some other situation he might've laughed at the mocking irony of it all.

So now of all times he was actually beginning to understand Sasuke?

He jumped when feeling a rough hand on his shoulder, but didn't bother to glance at whose it was. " Geez, you're even better than I expected."

His eyes flashed while he slapped the hand away. " _That_ had absolutely nothing to do with your blackmailing", he growled.

" Whatever. Just remember that a deal is a deal." Zaku's voice made him shiver with disgust. " You break him, or we'll break you."

There was a boiling heat underneath his skin, and he grit his teeth hard while balling a pair of trembling fists. " Don't worry." He sounded like a beast of some sort. " I won't break your stupid deal, okay? So leave me alone." Despite his words, he couldn't keep himself from asking while listening the other's distancing steps. " Why do you hate Sasuke so much, anyway? What has he done to you?"

There was no response.

While approaching him a bit later Shikamaru – who'd just finished his training spar with Kiba – shot a weird look towards where Zaku was disappearing. " What the heck did he want?"

He merely shook his head, swallowing thickly and absently noticing that the class ended. " Nothing." He then forced a grin. " Now let's go. I bet that new coffeehouse is awesome!"

* * *

When Sasuke approached his home about half an hour later, he could immediately tell that something was horribly wrong. Everything seemed much colder than usual.

He stood behind the front door for the longest time, feeling the desperate need to escape, until he finally made his decision.

He would've never twisted his key if he'd known what he'd find soon.

* * *

As Naruto appeared into his room in the orphanage, he frowned when noticing Gaara approaching a window. " Are you leaving again?"

The redhead nodded, eyes carrying a strange look. " There's something I need to… explore. Don't worry, I'll be home before Danzo ever notices a thing." The boy's eyes darkened still. " I'm sure you won't even notice a thing."

He felt cold although he couldn't understand why. " What was that supposed to mean?"

The boy shook his head. " I'm just tired and irritated. Forget it."

He frowned while watching the redhead open the window. It took a moment before he managed to ask. " We're… okay, right?"

The boy looked at him with an expression that could only be called surprised. For several moments their eyes met, until the other shook his head. " So you really don't get it."

Nothing more was said.

As the redhead disappeared, he felt the coldest shudder inside and swallowed thickly.

Yes, he knew he'd been away a lot lately, that he'd become distant, that this stupid role play had changed him. But to this extend…

Never before had he felt this abandoned. And he couldn't help wondering if things would ever go back to normal again.

Feeling a twinge of some sort inside he started to move.

There was only one person he could talk to right now.

* * *

Weeks had already scrolled by, and while she met Neji more and more Sakura found her resistance starting to crumble. Each day she found it harder and harder to remember why she'd been so harshly against him, no matter how royally he'd screwed up once.

And she had a feeling that she was getting into a trouble.

That quite late afternoon they sat in the school's library, as usual. Her eyebrow was arched while she went through his newest word test. " You got almost the perfect score", she observed out loud, feeling surprised and even suspicious.

The boy shrugged. " I studied longer than ten minutes for it. It's no big deal."

Now, she felt even more doubtful when meeting his eyes. " And you expect me to believe that?"

Neji seemed hurt, almost. " I've never done anything to you. What do I have to do to make you believe that I'm not a bastard anymore?"

At that moment she boiled over, finally ready to flood out what'd lingered on her tongue since their first meeting. " You broke my best friend's heart!" she snarled. " You used her, stomped over her. Because of you she…!" Her anger and a promise made long ago wouldn't allow her to say the rest. In the end she groaned, rubbing her face with both hands. " You know what? I'm not about to go through this with you, because I don't want to end up killing you."

Had she been a little less furious, she might've felt a stab when seeing the discouraged expression that lingered on the boy's face for just a second.

Just then they heard two voices they knew very well. Obviously, the talkers didn't think anyone was listening although she'd been all but screaming less than a minute earlier.

" _Hayate-sensei… Have you ever done something you've regretted?_" That voice was definitely Naruto's.

" _Of course I have._" The teacher sounded surprised, worried. Some coughs came. " _Why are you asking such a thing? Are you alright?_"

There was a heavy sigh. " _I… don't know._" Another sigh followed straight after. " _I just wish I could stop this acting, you know?_"

" _Maybe you should._" Hayate's voice was soft, but there was no doubt the man was serious. More coughs could be heard. " _Naruto, I'm sure they'd…_" Two coughs erupted. " _… care about you just as much if they'd know the real you._" The man coughed yet again. " _They'd be idiots if they didn't._" One more cough. " _You're a good person, Naruto. It's painful to see you fighting with yourself like this._"

" _Yeah…_" Naruto sounded doubtful. " _I guess…_"

" _Now…_" Hayate coughed once more. " _Let's get to that essay you brought along._"

At that point Neji and Sakura stopped paying attention to the conversation. They exchanged a meaningful look. " What the heck was that about?" Neji inquired.

She shook her head, feeling shivers. " I don't know."

But she had an extremely dark, nagging feeling that something very, very unpleasant was about to happen soon…

* * *

/ **Ten Days Later.** /

* * *

Sasuke had been alone most of his life. But never, ever, had he experienced the kind of loneliness he did when standing amongst people of which he didn't even know, watching how a plain, brown coffin was slowly lowered to a gaping hold on the cemetery's ground.

/ _" I'm so sorry, but…"_ /

/ _As soon as he came home that day, he felt that something was horribly wrong. The house was too quiet, too empty. " Mother?" There was no response. He swallowed laboriously, taking a step forth. " Itachi?" Still nothing, and it was around then he remembered that Itachi had traveled to Tokyo the day before, for a reason he didn't know._

_Unable to think, to have even a single coherent thought, he walked to the bathroom, noticing that the door was open although it shouldn't have been._

_The moment he saw the blood his whole world stilled._ /

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut when there was an odd, screech like sound as the coffin hit the ground. The priest was speaking once more, but he couldn't hear a word of it.

/ _" Your mother… She lost too much blood. There was nothing we could do."_ /

/ _" MOM!"_

_Already then, as he rushed on with a desperate speed, a part of him knew he wouldn't be able to make much difference._ /

He shivered when a harsh, unforgiving hand was laid to his shoulder. He looked up to meet his father's stone hard eyes. " You have to stop weeping now – you're not a child anymore." The voice wasn't any softer. " Your mother made her decision, Sasuke. Now it's just the three of us. We have to stay strong." With that the man turned around and started to walk away, not glancing over his shoulder.

Blinking with confusion and something else – heartbreak, almost – he brushed his cheek, surprised and furious with himself to find it moist. He hadn't been supposed to cry!

" Come on, Sasuke." This time the hand that touched him was softer, nearly tender. Itachi's unseeing eyes carried the same ache he was trying to hide furiously. " Let's go home."

-

Three hours later he jumped off the familiar cliff into icy water once more. (1) He didn't reach out towards the surface until after two full minutes.

* * *

Ever since she'd entered for the first time, Hinata had found the Uchihas' house chilling. As she walked through the unlocked front door late that evening, the sensation was thousand times stronger than before.

It was easy to sense that something was missing.

She didn't know exactly what it was leading her, but she found her way to a long, dark hallway. She froze completely when suddenly seeing Itachi emerge from a room nearby.

The older boy also stiffened for a while until recognizing her presence. " Hinata? What are you doing here?"

She felt heat on her cheeks, and was glad the boy couldn't see it. " I… I h-heard about y-your mother", she explained in a weak tone. " N-News travel fast h-here."  
Itachi nodded, something unreadable appearing to his face. He took his time before speaking. " Sasuke just fell asleep with a couple of sedatives." He sighed heavily and rubbed his face, appearing utterly exhausted. " It won't be pretty when he wakes up."

She nodded, unsure of what to say for a moment. " What a-about you?"

Itachi seemed almost surprised when glancing towards her without being able to see, then looked away once more, seeming embarrassed and deep in thought. " I know it's selfish, but… I wish I could get away from here." He closed his eyes, as though wanting to fall asleep standing up. " They… offered me a place to study, far away from here. But…"  
She understood easily.

_Sasuke._

She knew it wasn't her place to interfere, that she might end up regretting her decision, but she moved anyhow. Itachi shuddered a little when she placed a trembling hand to his. " I-It isn't selfish that you w-want a life of your o-own." She felt the sudden need to hug the boy, but managed to fight against it. " I… I'm sure Sasuke w-would understand, too."

At that moment the boy did something that surprised them both. He smiled genuinely, his hand squeezing hers in a reflex. " Thank you."

She was just about to speak when there was the sound of a door opening not all that far away. Itachi stiffened completely long before a rather large, chilling figure appeared to the other end of the hallway, seeming to sway a little. " Itachi, what do you think you're doing?" The voice sounded so dark and threatening that she instinctively took a step backwards. " Didn't I make it perfectly clear what I think about her?"

Itachi winced, most likely without noticing it. " Father, don't."

The man wasn't in the condition to listen. " Get that tramp out of my house, right now."

Leaving was the last thing she wanted to do. But at the moment she didn't really have a choice – she knew her staying would only get Itachi into more trouble. After giving the boy a one last squeeze of comfort she turned around and started to rush away.

She'd never felt as determined in her life.

She didn't have even the slightest clue how, but she _would_ find a way to help Itachi – and Sasuke as well. She was sick and tired of walking away, especially from helping someone she cared about.

* * *

/ **Three Days Later.** /

* * *

Sasuke had expected that going back to school wouldn't be easy, especially since he was a new student and pretty much everyone had based their opinion on him on the hearsays they'd caught recently.

In less than the two first classes, he discovered he'd been wrong. It was a million times more painful than he'd imagined.

Wherever he went, he could feel people looking at him. Sometimes he even heard whispers.

" Hey, isn't that the guy who's mother…?"

" Yeah. I wonder if it's something that runs in the family…"

" You know, I heard some rumours from where he used to live… They say he's got scars, and bruises. I've seen him wear makeup."

" I bet he's just as fucked up as his mother."

Sakura – who'd been walking with him while most of those whispers came – gave him a look that made him feel a lot more pathetic than he had already. " Those people are idiots. You do know that, right?"

He looked away, eyes narrowed at the storm inside him. " Hn."

In the end he went to the only place that could offer him even the slightest bit of comfort – the skating rink. To his utter dismay, however, he discovered that he wasn't about to get any privacy even there.

He had to admit that Naruto looked quite adorable when desperately trying to make his way around the rink, falling straight to his buttocks every five seconds.

Yes, he knew leaving would've been the wisest thing to do – he sure as hell didn't want any company at the moment. But his legs seemed to have other ideas.

-

Naruto – who just managed to grab a hold of a railing before stumbling to ice – shivered when hearing a much too familiar snort. " You're totally helpless."

He fought the urge to stick his tongue out when turning his head to discover Sasuke approaching. " This is my first time, okay? So sue me for not being perfect."

The raven's expression didn't change. " Hn."

He found his brain buzzing with thoughts.

Ever since hearing about the death of Sasuke's mother Naruto had fought desperately to come up with something – _anything_ – to say to the raven, because no matter how well the Uchiha acted he could somehow sense the boiling underneath the surface. Right then, he came to realize that perhaps actions would be better than words.

He grinned. " You know what? I want you to teach me."

The raven frowned with what looked like disbelief. " Why?"

_Because… I don't want you to look so sad anymore, okay?_ Out loud he snorted. " Is it against some law to ask for help, teme?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. " If this is the only way to make you leave me alone…"

He shivered with something scarily close to pleasure when Sasuke's hands appeared to his waistline, steadying him. In a matter of seconds they started to move, so suavely that it absolutely stunned him.

_Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea, after all…_

Just as that thought was finished the raven's hands disappeared and he gasped, realizing that he was moving all by himself. He flapped idiotically with his arms at first, but then his balance returned and he actually managed to move a little.

A huge grin appeared. " See this, teme?" Not thinking before acting, he spun rather rapidly towards the Uchiha. " I'm not so helpless after all."

He should've _never_ said that out loud, because in a matter of moments he got a punishment for his arrogance.

He yelped a little when his balance broke and he fell straight towards Sasuke, taking both of them down so that he landed rather heavily on top of the raven.

His eyes widened a bit when he realized what'd happened. " 'Sorry!" He then frowned when seeing the other blink sluggishly. " You… didn't hit your head or anything, right?"

Onyx eyes were yet again filled with irritation when rising slowly towards his. " Get… off… right now!"

For some reason a flash of their accidental first kiss appeared to his mind just then and he all but jumped backwards, blushing radiantly.

Muttering something incoherent Sasuke also tried to get up, but ended up falling back to ice with a grimace, holding his ankle. " Damn it…"

Yet another frown appeared to his face. " What's wrong?"

The raven waited for a moment. " My ankle…" The hiss was filled with near rage. " I think I twisted it when falling."

At that moment, although he tried to tell himself otherwise, Naruto wasn't thinking about Zaku's words, or the price he'd have to pay for failure.

Sasuke gave him a weird look when he slid his arm to help the raven stand. " What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He rolled his eyes, feeling about a million things at one go. " Trying to help you out, teme. There's no way you'll be able to walk all the way home with that ankle."

Surprisingly enough Sasuke didn't struggle too much, although there was a lot of muttering he couldn't make out. To anyone they probably seemed amusing, with he barely remaining upright on the ice and the Uchiha basically trying to drag both of them forth with just one properly working leg.

" I'll make you pay for this later", the raven snarled. " You do know that, right?"

He cast his eyes skywards for a moment. " Yeah, yeah." He failed to chase away all chills of dread, though. He had no doubt in his mind the Uchiha would fulfil his threat.

He had a feeling that this journey would be a long one.

* * *

Gaara's eyes were filled with determination when he entered an extremely shady, most likely almost collapsing block of flats, holding a tiny piece of paper in a hand he didn't realize was trembling.

He'd been postponing this meeting for days already, since he'd finally gotten the address of this place. Now it was finally time to take action.

Considering how small the house was it took him surprisingly long to find the right door. He hesitated for almost a minute before knocking. No one appeared for nearly two minutes, and he made a sound of annoyance.

_This is idiotic_, he declared to himself. _I should just…_

Just then the door was opened. All breath and thought left him when his eyes clashed together with the familiar green ones he hadn't seen in three years.

In the end he couldn't keep himself from gasping, for he felt like he'd been suffocating. " Kimimaro…" Then anger defeated shock, and he grit his teeth before speaking. " It's been three years, damn it!" He knew he was acting irrationally, out of character, but couldn't help himself. " Three years, without a single word from you! Do you have any idea what it's felt like?"

He was about to continue, but something on Kimimaro's face stopped him. The white haired seemed scared, even took a step backwards with a frown.

The words that eventually came from the boy sucked all air from his lungs once more. " I'm sorry, but… Who are you?" The other's frown deepened still. " What do you want from me?"

He stood absolutely frozen for a mighty while. Just when he felt ready to speak a smooth and pleasant, yet incredibly chilling voice coming from inside the apartment halted him. " _Who are you talking to? Do we have a visitor?_"

Kimimaro's expression carried so much that he couldn't even name everything. " I have to go now. I'm sorry you didn't find what you were looking for." And with that the door was closed right at his dazed face.

* * *

It was stunning, really, that Naruto and Sasuke's journey towards the raven's home wasn't entirely unpleasant. Although they bickered most of the time, there seemed to be this strangest aura of peace around them.

So pleasant it was, in fact, that Naruto was startled to realize he felt disappointed when Sasuke stopped all of a sudden. " We're here."

Blinking thrice, he looked at the building on the other side of the road and gasped. " Nice."

It was a huge, white house. Although the beautiful garden circling the residence was already dying, some trees still had fruits. A part of him felt something strange when he looked at the house, but he chased it off as a trick of imagination.

Sasuke shrugged, something weird on his face. " Whatever floats your boat, dobe." The boy then looked at him. " Now would you please let go of me so I can walk?"

He blushed despite himself, doing as ordered.

The other was almost gone when he spoke. " I'm sorry." He stunned them both with those words. " About your ankle – and your mother."

Sasuke remained unresponsive for the longest time, until a flash of something he couldn't recognize crossed the boy face. " Hn." With that the raven continued to limp his way away. " See you tomorrow."

Once more, he found himself frowning. " Are you sure you'll be okay?"

He could just sense the other's roll of eyes. " I'm not completely helpless, unlike you."

" Bastard!"

Sasuke merely raised a hand as a response, and he couldn't keep himself from grinning while shaking his head.

For some reason he couldn't comprehend what felt like hope appeared to his chest.

Just then a sensation of guilt stabbed him more sharply than any knife, but he brushed it off quickly. Sasuke wasn't falling for him or anything, and it wasn't like he would've had feelings, either – things weren't unbearably uncomfortable just yet. There were no hearts in the line of fire.

With that thought, a lie perhaps, alone he managed to keep himself from screaming out loud with frustration while he turned around and walked away.

(He may not have been as lucky if he'd known about the events that'd follow during the rest of the school year…)

* * *

TBC, right…?

* * *

1) Remember that a bit disturbing end of chappy two? That's what this one's referring to. (grins)

* * *

A/N: Awww – poor boneheads! (sniffs) But what's this – are they getting closer…?

Gah, I've been in front of a computer so long that my eyes are getting dryer than sandpaper, so I'll have to start tuning out.

PLEEEASE leave a review before you go, yeah? It's almost Christmas, so I've got quite a bit of treats in store for those wonderful souls who do… (grins cheekily)

Until next time, folks! 'Hope you'll join the ride then.

Take care!

And yes, HAPPY, MAGICAL HOLIDAYS!

* * *

**lalala**: Gosh, how happy I am to hear you've found this ficcy interesting thus far! (makes a lil' dance with joy)

(grins) Ah, and about the vote! It seems male Kimimaro ended up winning. Hmm, is that juicy YAOI I'm seeing in the horizon…?

Tons of thank yous for the review! I really hope the new chapter turns out to be worth the wait.


	5. November

A/N: Phew! After a HUUUUUGE lack of time, I FINALLY had the time to scrabble a new chappy for you guys! (grins with excitement just like Naruto before Sasuke's departure) Wee-hee!  
Before letting you get to the actual thing… Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for those wonderful reviews! (HUGS) You make me feel all warm and fuzzy, ya know? (smirks)

Okay, before you'll start pulling out weapons, let's get going! 'Hope you'll like this one.

* * *

CHAPTER 5: November

* * *

By the time November was almost over, Naruto realized with some disturbance that he didn't find Sasuke's company entirely unpleasant anymore. In fact he actually found being around the raven almost… enjoyable.

That, however, didn't apply to their skating lessons – especially when they had audience.

He all but glared at Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba and Sakura, who grinned and destroyed the treats they'd bought while watching him pull on his skates. " I still don't understand why you wanted to come along."

Was Kiba snickering? " Are you kidding? This is the best entertainment show in decades!"

Shikamaru seemed mildly annoyed. " Naruto, you've been stalling for an hour with the aid of those treats. Stop making this so damn troublesome and get going already."

Sakura's eyes flashed while she crackled her knuckles. " And don't you dare harm Sasuke-kun – he's only trying to help your sorry ass."

He snorted, although he felt like laughing. " Some friends you are."

Just then sounds of someone skating appeared. Looking on they found Sasuke approaching with quite a speed and a deeply irritated expression. The boy took a seat nearby them. " What's taking you so long? I want to get this over with."

Naruto ruffled Sasuke's hair. " Teme, don't be such a grouch. I can tell you don't find this entirely horrible."

The raven rolled his eyes. " Just shut up and get up, will you?"

He shot a rather dirty look towards the Uchiha that earned laughter from the others while doing as ordered.

Sakura shuddered while also getting up after taking a look at a text message she'd just received. " I'm getting out of here. I can't bear watching those two disabling each other."

He barely heard the pinkette, because at that moment he and Sasuke hit the ice. He wobbled, but the Uchiha managed to stop him just before his balance would've slipped. " Dobe, I've got a feeling that you'll never learn this."

He gave the other a faked pout. " I would, if you'd teach instead of complaining, bastard."

In the middle of the chaos inside his head, he knew one thing with such certainty that it brought him chills.

Sasuke's warm, steady arms around him felt anything but uncomfortable as they moved.

-

Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino were having the time of their lives when watching the rather entertaining display.

" I think it's official now", Shikamaru proclaimed. " Those two are deep in it."

" Yup", Kiba announced with a grin and huge nods. The brunette leaned back on his seat while snatching the last doughnut and chewing loudly. " Because if that's not a mating dance, I don't know what it is."

Shino made a sound no one would've been able to identify. " You're both morons."

Akamaru, whom Kiba had brought along, barked as an agreement, to which one or all of them can only be guessed. There was a knowing look in the dog's eyes.

* * *

Sakura didn't know how to react and what to feel when she entered a tiny café, and saw Neji sitting at a nearby table with his back to her, looking through a window.

She had two choices, her rationality messaged her; she could approach, or leave before he'd ever even see her. It seemed her feet had already made up her mind.

Neji's head turned slowly when she reached the table and sat slowly. " _Bonjour_", he greeted.

" We didn't agree to have this meeting in beforehand", she reminded him, her voice sounding so tentative that it sickened her. " Why did you message me?"

He shrugged. " Why did you come?"

She snapped her lips together so tightly that it hurt. Honestly, she didn't know.

_This guy shattered your best friend's heart_, she reminded herself. _Because of him she was forced to leave the town, to…_

" I've decided that I don't need tutoring anymore." Neji's voice surprised her enough to wake her from those thoughts. She looked into his eyes, but found no signs of insincerity. She blinked when he pushed a wrapped gift towards her. " I wanted to give you this, as a thank you."

With a frown she opened the package slowly, carefully. She blinked once more when coming face to face with a French book she'd once flipped through in the school's library. Her cheeks felt uncomfortably hot when she looked at the boy. " Thank you."

" Hn", was the only response he gave, seeming to focus on his coffee.

Just then she noticed that a small piece of paper had floated from amongst the book's pages to the table before her. With some confusion she picked it up.

_Puis-je avoir un café avec toi, s'il vous plaît?_ (1)

There was a deep frown on her face when she looked at the boy again. " What the heck is this about?"

Neji shrugged once more, looking directly into her eyes. " That's entirely up to you."

Well, she still didn't know why she'd come, she mused while ordering coffee. But at very least she now knew why she stayed against all the voices of her reason, although she didn't like the revelation.

Taking a sip of the coffee as it arrived, she restrained a sigh.

* * *

Quite late that evening Itachi felt surprisingly comfortable despite a cool breeze when walking towards his home with Hinata.

Their 'tour across the town' (because they refused to call it a date) had lasted for hours, but he didn't feel quite ready to go back home yet – to a place where he couldn't take Hinata now that his father was there.

" Y-You've been pretty quiet for a while." Hinata's voice surprised him, as did the fact that she barely stuttered.

The slightest of smiles appeared. " I'm sorry. I was just… thinking." He then noticed something while his hand brushed hers accidentally. " Are you feeling cold? You're shivering."

Gosh, he could almost feel the heat that rose to Hinata's cheeks! " I… I'm fine, my j-jacket just wasn't a-as warm as I thought."

After giving it a second of thought, he took away his scarf and wrapped it around her neck instead. Sensing her confusion, he felt his expression soften. " You need it more than I do. There's no hurry to return it."

" T-Thank you." This time, he felt heat on his own face when something warm and slightly moist brushed his cheek all of a sudden. " S-See you soon." He could hear slight sway and hesitance in Hinata's steps while she started to rush away.

Although he couldn't see, he watched the direction towards which the girl disappeared with a slight smile. It took time before he allowed himself to return to reality so that he could turn and walk slowly towards his home.

It was the first time since the death of his mother walking didn't feel like a taunting task.

Reality, however, had always had the tendency to strike him square across the face. As he entered the house it did it in a form of two all consuming scents – alcohol, and blood.

Somewhat wobbly steps approached, making him feel unnaturally cold. " So you're home." He wasn't surprised to hear that his father slurred. " Good. Maybe you can make that idiotic brother of yours listen."

He felt like vomiting, and a searing sensation filled his unseeing eyes. He clenched his fists, ready to use them. " What the hell did you do to him?" He knew better than well that such a language would do nothing to make things better, but couldn't hold himself back. " If you've hurt him…" He sounded like a wounded beast, exhausted and full of sheer hatred at the same time.

His father seemed deaf to the danger. " That brat is in his room." Steps moved, distanced. " Do whatever the hell you please with him. I need a drink." And that was their closure.

He stood absolutely still for a moment – not sure which one he should go after – until he finally started to move stunningly calmly, making his way to Sasuke's room.

He waited for a while before daring to knock on the firmly closed door. " Sasuke?" There was no response, but he could hear strange sounds he didn't recognize which confirmed the younger Uchiha was in there. He buried his face into one hand, sucking in deep, desperate breaths. _I… I'm so sorry, Sasuke._ " Are you alright?" His tone was strange, monotonic, but it didn't matter at the moment.

Even through the door, he heard a sharp intake of breath. " _Just… Let me sleep, 'Tachi._" His brother's tone was far from the usual. " _Please._"

His first impulse was to snarl objections – he knew it wasn't a wise idea to leave his brother pondering through this all alone. But he also knew that when Sasuke had pushed him this far this fiercely, there was nothing he could've done. And therefore he closed his eyes and balled his fists even more tightly than before, feeling more helpless than ever in his life. " Alright." In a choked voice he whispered so that Sasuke couldn't hear. " I'm sorry."

From the room, he heard the sound of a window being opened and closed.

For what felt like a decade he stood perfectly still. Then, his moves startlingly suave, he took a vase he knew to be placed nearby and threw it against the nearest wall with full force.

It was the only scream he allowed himself to give, the only form of tears he was able to shed.

* * *

Pretty late that night, after rolling around in his bed for hours with no sleep, Naruto decided that it was a much more productive idea to take a walk. To his surprise, his feet took him to a park he usually stayed far away from because of the place's reputation. His eyes flew wide when he saw a much too familiar figure slumped to a bench.

_What the…?!_

He was approaching long before that thought was finished. Without thinking about it the slightest he spoke. " Sasuke?"

The raven first stiffened – confirming his surreal assumption – then turned his gaze slowly. It was a glare he met, but it didn't manage to reach even a tenth of the boy's usual harshness. " What the hell are you doing here?" The boy's voice sounded strange, but it wasn't until a little bit later he realized why.

He scoffed. " The last time I checked, I'm allowed to choose where I go." He then frowned, feeling shudders somewhere deep underneath his skin. For lights of a passing car revealed something that chilled his blood – a huge, dark bruise, possibly even several of them, covering the raven's face. He was fairly sure more damage was hidden under the boy's clothes. He could also distinguish a clear, sharp reek of alcohol – apparently the Uchiha had managed to find a rather unwise way to ease his mind. It took long before he had voice for even the slightest of whispers. " Sasuke… What the heck is this about?"

The other looked away abruptly, but it was already too late. Onyx eyes narrowed. " Leave… me the fuck alone, idiot. For you own sake."

" _No_." Even he was confused by his sudden firmness. He found himself feeling almost terrified for the other, although he couldn't understand why he felt so agitated. " Do you honestly think I'd just leave you alone in _that_ condition? Sakura-chan would castrate me."

Sasuke blinked once at those words, then scoffed and rolled his eyes. " Idiot."

He snorted. " You, calling me an idiot in _that_ state?" He then sighed, offering a hand to help the boy up. " Just come with me, will you? It's freezing out here."

The boy hesitated for the longest time before finally – with evident reluctance – accepting his help. No words were spoken or needed while they walked on.

-

They were blissfully unaware of the eyes watching them, as well as of the icy sneer.

To Zaku, things couldn't have been more perfect.

-

How Naruto managed to drag the basically passed out Uchiha into the orphanage without waking up half of the building was beyond him. It was mostly owing to the fact that the boy weighed next to nothing – it was relatively easy to all but carry the raven.

The other seemed mildly confused when realizing that they'd sneaked into an orphanage. " I… didn't know you live here."

He swallowed a little, feeling ashamed. " Hmm." He then listened, and restrained a sigh of relief when discovering that no sounds could be heard – even Danzo was asleep. He then refocused on the boy beside him. " You… can go and wash yourself, if you want to. I mean…" Involuntarily his eyes went through all the blood and wounds on the other.

Judging by how stiff Sasuke became and how the raven withdrew into himself, he was fairly sure the boy noticed his sneaked glance. " 'K."

After fetching the Uchiha a towel from his room, guiding the boy to the correct place and making sure the raven wouldn't do anything stupid, he returned to his room and emitted a deep sigh, rubbing his face with both hands. Suddenly he was very glad that Gaara had disappeared to a yet another nightly journey.

_What the hell am I doing?!_

Apparently he was tired after all, for he almost dozed off before Sasuke appeared to the room. He blinked a little when losing himself to looking at the raven. With his hair wet and framing his much too pale, bruised face the boy looked much younger than before, almost fragile. (There were also several other descriptive words that popped into his head, but he pushed them away without registering them.)

" You're staring."

He found himself blushing, finally pulled back into reality by the other's irritated voice. " Sorry." It wasn't until then he understood why the raven was so bothered – for someone like Sasuke, having their injuries and signs of weakness revealed like this was a huge deal. He quickly busied himself with preparing the bed, determined not to make things any worse mistakes. " Look… The thing is that I don't exactly have a spare bed or mattress, and Gaara would kill me if I'd let someone into his bed, so… I'm afraid we'll have to share a bed." He glanced somewhat cautiously towards the other, feeling uncomfortable with this idea. " I… hope it's okay. I mean, it's just for tonight."

Saying Sasuke didn't seem to like the idea would've been a loud understatement. The Uchiha, however, nodded slowly, realizing that there was no other choice.

There was a moment of somewhat awkward silence until he came to think of an escape route. " Uhm… You can go to bed already", he announced, going through his things and then heading towards the door. " I'll go and wash up."

He wasn't sure if the raven even heard him.

When he came back about ten minutes later, he just had to smile at what he found. Sasuke had obviously been exhausted, because the boy was already fast asleep, breathing heavily and nose wrinkled at whatever dreams the raven was having. He wouldn't have wanted to disturb the other's much needed rest, but he had to get into the bed as well.

Sasuke first shuddered, then tensed up completely and shot a glare his way when he crawled into the bed. " What…?" The boy's voice was sleepy, yet so sharp that he felt cold shivers.

He grinned sheepishly. " It's just me. So go back to sleep, 'k? I'm sorry I woke you up."

The Uchiha, however, kept looking at him, obsidian eyes filled with suspicion. And it was then he finally clicked.

Gosh, he'd never seen anyone that scared before…!

He found his eyes softening, but didn't manage to care. His hand was far gentler than he'd expected when he stroked the raven's cheek despite the other's slight resistance. " Teme, you… you're safe now, okay? I'm not going to hurt you. Everything's going to work out."

Sasuke must've been a thousand times more tired than he'd thought, because instead of the rant or punch he'd expected the boy buried his battered face into his chest – as though ashamed – then relaxed into a sleep in a matter of seconds.

For the longest time he stared at the still slightly quivering, far too slender hump before him with utter confusion, not having a clue as to what he should've done with it. In the end he emitted a deep sigh and closed his eyes, nestling himself quite comfortably behind the raven. (He didn't know that one of his arms sneaked around the raven as though to protect the boy.)

_Tomorrow morning's going to be fun_, he mused darkly before falling asleep.

* * *

In the meantime Gaara closed his eyes and despite himself emitted a tiny sound of pleasure when Deidara's lips brushed a tender spot on his shoulder. " What now?" he all but purred, feeling embarrassed by his tone.

" You've seemed distracted for a while already, un." Blue eyes searched through his with amusement and something else. " Is this place that boring?"

He looked around the stinking bar, into which he – a minor – had gotten much too easily with false IDs, and realized that the truthful answer would've been 'yes'. " No", he said instead. " I just… have a lot on my mind."

His answer earned a new set of hot kisses. " Maybe there's something I can do about that."

He almost managed to sink into ecstasy of some sort, until his sharp eyes spotted a figure that made his heart jump high. White hair, green eyes… Kimimaro was just leaving the place.

He realized that there was no time to waste.

" I'll be right back. I need some fresh air."

Deidara shrugged. " Whatever. I was supposed to go to a bathroom, anyway."

Before those words were properly out he bolted into a standing position and all but dashed away.

Kimimaro seemed almost startled when he reached the boy outside the bar. " You again", the other rather noted than snapped.

He nodded, determination making his skin tingle. " Look… I'm sorry if I startled you the last time, but it's just… been so long."

The white haired folded his arms, which he'd never seen the boy do before. " What do you want?"

" To help you." It came out with such sincerity that it almost scared him. " To remember, to become the person you once were."

The white haired frowned. " But… I don't even know you – I'm sorry, but I… I don't have even a single memory. And I doubt I ever will. I'm not even sure if I'm who you're looking for."

" You are." He'd never been that sure about anything in his entire life, and the intensity baffled him. He sucked in a breath to calm himself, then went on. " You are. And you will remember it too, eventually."

The other's frown deepened still. " What about your boyfriend?"

His stomach flipped around, and he swallowed hard. " I'm… not looking for a relationship, okay? I just… I want to help you to remember." _I want _you_ back._

Kimimaro nodded just a little. " I… can't promise you anything."

He shook his head. " I don't need promises." _I just need_ you, was something his pride didn't allow him to produce. His mind buzzed, but miraculously he managed to come up with something coherent. " Come here at midnight in three days, and I'll show you some places where we used hang around a lot. If it feels uncomfortable you'll never have to see me again." _Please…_

Kimimaro's lips opened, but before any words came out another voice he knew very well appeared. " So here you are! I thought you'd ran away from me altogether."

He found it hard to hide his emotions when turning his gaze towards Deidara. " I ran into a old friend." It was the first time he felt uncomfortable when the blonde's arms wrapped nearly possessively around him. " This… is Kimimaro."

The older male nodded. " Yeah, we've met."

A look that can only be called that of discomfort rose to Kimimaro's face as the white haired peered towards a clock. " I have to get going." With that the boy all but rushed away.

Deidara scoffed. " Now that's a kid with many words, un."

He barely heard from the buzzing of his head. His heart thumped, although he wasn't entirely sure why he was so bothered – after all, they'd only been friends.

He hoped from the bottom of his heart that Kimimaro would accept his offer from before. Because in all honesty… He didn't know what he'd do if he'd lose the boy again.

Deidara's sound of amusement snapped him out of those thoughts. " You seem serious."

He turned somewhat sharply. " Let's go inside. It's cold here."

* * *

When Naruto woke up, it took him a moment to remember what'd happened the night before. The instant all memories became clear his eyes flew wide – only to find that Sasuke was no longer in his bed. Only one black hair was left to signal that those surreal events hadn't been just a dream.

He blinked a bit when pushing himself to a sitting position. " Sasuke?"

The boy was nowhere to be found.

He felt somewhat disappointed and sad, although it was unclear to him why. It also seemed his chest decided to swell with worry.

" Sasuke?" Gaara's voice made him jump a little. There was a frown upon the redhead's face while the boy entered, obviously having taken a shower. " What would he be doing here?"

He chewed his lip, feeling utterly embarrassed. " I… kinda dragged him here." He groaned and rubbed his face. " Man, I can't believe I brought him here! I could've just as well told him _everything_."

" I don't understand why you bother keeping up that game of pretend." Gaara seemed between amused and sad. " I don't know what's in your past, and I don't even care. You're a good person now – you shouldn't try to change yourself."

He just had to smile a bit, although a stab of guilt crossed him. " I'm glad you think that way, although I basically ditched you for a while."

Gaara rolled his eyes a bit. " Stop worrying about that already." The boy then started to move. " Now let me get dressed properly so we can go and have some breakfast before it's all out."

* * *

After having visited there for what felt like a billion times, Naruto wasn't surprised anymore when he ended up into Hayate's office. This time he used new essays as an excuse.

He didn't even notice that he was holding his breath while waiting for the teacher's judgement. " These… are different from your usual." The man coughed. " But by no means bad." The brunette then looked towards him. " But somehow I've got a feeling that these aren't why you came."

He hesitated for the longest time. This was Sasuke's business, not his. Did he really have the right to talk about this with someone? In the end his mouth worked on it's own. " I've… got this friend." Yeah, that was a safe place to start – no names. " I think he's in a trouble."

Hayate frowned, then coughed. " What kind of a trouble?"

He chewed his lip, casting his eyes downwards. " I… saw him all bruised. And drunk. He spent a night in the orphanage, but he'd disappeared in the morning." _And I haven't seen him in school today._

Hayate nodded solemnly. " Those are serious things, Naruto." The man coughed. " I'm glad you came to talk tell me."

He looked into the older man's eyes, his gaze filled with near despair. " What should I do?"

The brunette sighed. " First of all, you need to let him see the real you." Three coughs erupted. " To make him trust you, you need to do the same for him." Two more coughs. " It sounds like he needs you right now."

A heavy stab of guilt crossed him, all the way from the tips of fingers to his toes, as memories of the 'deal' Zaku had forced him into appeared, as he yet again remembered the role he was supposed to play. How the heck was he supposed to help Sasuke with such intensions, when the Uchiha didn't even know who he was?

" What if I can't?" The question came without any processing.

Hayate's expression softened a little. " Of course you can." The man coughed yet again. " You just need to have faith in both of you." Five more coughs came. " Now get going already – I know you want to."

He managed to grin genuinely, feeling a lot lighter already. " Thanks, sensei!"

If the man responded something he didn't catch it, because all his focus was already elsewhere.

-

As soon as Naruto had left Hayate gave a deep sigh, his eyes darkening a shade or two.

_I really hope you'll be able to help Sasuke, whatever there's going on with him_, he mused. _Because to me it sounds like the need for help is mutual._

" I figured I'd find you here." Yuugao's voice sneaked up on him, as did her kiss. " You were supposed to go home an hour ago."

He coughed, feeling somewhat sheepish. " Sorry. I just… got caught up with something." He didn't feel like adding her worry for Naruto with telling about the conversation just taken place.

The woman nodded, seeming very solemn all of a sudden. She folded her arms and waited for a long time before starting. " Look… There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, and… This just feels like a good time."

He frowned, feeling alarmed. " What is it?"

He could hear and see her swallow. " This."

To his utter stun she handed him a pregnancy test. He stared at the stick for almost a full minute before facts finally sunk in.

It was positive.

He was pretty sure Yuugao said something, but he heard none of it. For just then everything turned black.

* * *

After his little talk with Hayate, it didn't take Naruto all that long to find Sasuke.

The raven frowned when they met right outside the building in which the skating rink located. " Are you stalking me?"

He rolled his eyes, taking a calming breath, then looked at the other directly to eyes. " You weren't in school today."

An eyebrow was arched at him. " And you care?"

Sadly enough, he wasn't a man enough to admit that. " Sakura-chan was worried." His frown from before deepened. " Have you been here all day?"

Sasuke shrugged. " Pretty much."

His eyes widened. It was almost four o'clock, so… " You've been training for over eight hours?" he all but cried out.

The Uchiha made a sound of irritation and rubbed his temple, apparently suffering from a headache. " Why are you doing this? We're not best friends or anything, and I don't need you around. So why don't you just get off my back and leave me alone?" The raven, however, made no move to leave.

Deciding to dodge the question he wasn't comfortable with thinking about, he chose to make one of his own. " Where are you going, anyway?"

To his surprise, the other made a strange, dark chuckle. " I… have no idea."

He gave a wry smile, feeling a slash of sadness. " Now that sounds like a good plan."

" Hn."

Neither knew how long they stood there, until he suddenly noticed something that made a huge grin appear to his face. Out of nowhere, it seemed, white flakes had started to fall. It was the winter's first snow.

He didn't turn his gaze until hearing something that resembled to a chuckle. " What?" he demanded when looking at Sasuke, who actually seemed mildly amused.

The boy shook his head with a 'Hn' and looked away. " You're a real brat, dobe."

He responded with sticking his tongue out at the other.

Just then the surprisingly comfortable moment was cut when a car stopped nearby them. It wasn't hard for him to notice how Sasuke tensed up before starting to move with clearly visible reluctance.

He would've wanted to ask what was wrong, but already knew he'd only get snarls as response and reluctantly kept his quiet – mostly. " See you tomorrow." It sounded desperate, like a plea of some sort.

Sasuke didn't react in any way whatsoever, possibly didn't even hear. A yet another frown appeared as he watched the raven disappear into the car before it drove off.

Something was horribly wrong, he could tell. And he wouldn't give up until he'd find out what it was.

" Damn, you're good!" Even his spine curved with revulsion at the sound of Zaku's voice. Peering over his shoulder he fought the urge to attack when finding the boy approaching. " He's already starting to trust you, you know?"

His eyes narrowed. " Piss off and leave us alone, will you?"

Zaku's eyebrow arched with amusement. " So now it's 'us', huh?" The boy's eyes changed, became hazardous. " Just a word of warning… Don't get too comfortable with that asshole. You remember the deal, right?"

" Naruto." Never before had he been as relieved to hear Sakura's voice. Although the girl's pink hair was dripping water after a visit to the swimming hall, her eyes flamed so that she seemed terrifying, almost. " What's up?"

Zaku gave a tiny wave. " I'll catch you later." The boy started to walk away. " Just keep realities in mind, _Uzumaki_."  
After the boy was gone it took a long time before he managed to create a grin for the pinkette. " Hey, Sakura-chan." His expression changed when he noticed the look on the girl's face. " What…?" He trailed off.

Sakura's green eyes smouldered. " Naruto, what the hell is going on? And you better start from the beginning."

* * *

TBC, or…?

* * *

1) To those who don't know French… This is SUPPOSED TO mean something close to 'Can I have (some) coffee with you, please?' My French is 'a bit' rusty, though, so if that means something else entirely let me know, yeah? Or then we can accuse Neji's French… XD

* * *

A/N: Ah, I can't believe this – they're actually growing closer! (cheers) If only it wasn't for that damn Zaku… (snarls)

Heh, there's a ton of things on my 'to do' –list before the year changes, so I've gotta start hopping away right about now. But before that of course…

Do leave a review before you'll head off towards celebrations, yeah? Aww, I can tell you'd love to. (Hearing from you would really add my writing pace, ya know…?) (snickers)

'Til next time – 'hope you'll all stop by year 2009 as well!

Be good!

And have a great New Year!


	6. December

A/N: YAY – I FINALLY managed to write a review! (wipes sweat from forehead) I'm sorry it took this long. (winces)

BUT, before getting on with it… THANK YOU, thank you for all those marvelous reviews! (HUUUGS) You can't even imagine how they warmed my heart. Arigato! Once again **responses to anonymous reviews **can be found from underneath the chappy, un.

Awkay, without any further 'mambo jambo', let's get on with it. (rubs hands together with excitement) Here we go!

* * *

CHAPTER 6: December

* * *

Fair enough, Hayate had been rather terrified when he'd first heard about Yuugao's pregnancy – as much as he loved children, he hadn't been sure if he'd be ready to be a father. But then he did some thinking, and came to realize that perhaps such a twist wasn't a bad thing at all. And he decided that it was finally time to do something he'd been planning for a long time.

That morning of rather early December Yuugao seemed somewhat alarmed when entering his office. " Hey, what's wrong? You sounded like this would be a matter of life and death."

He coughed, despite the situation fighting the urge to yawn after three sleepless nights. " Nah, this isn't that bad – I'm sorry I worried you." He coughed again. " There's just… something important I'd… want to ask." He cleared his throat and fought back a cough while walking up to her. " Look…" He couldn't meet her gaze. " I've… had a crush on you since I was three, and now…" He brushed her slightly swollen abdomen gently, then coughed. " I'm… not good at this, but…" His hand trembled when he pulled out a ring. " I… I really love you, and I… don't think there's anyone else I'd want to spend forever with, so…" He finally met her gaze. " Will you have me?"

For the longest time the woman looked at him with what looked like a mixture of joy and utter bafflement, then slammed a hand to her mouth and sprinted out of the room.

-

Naruto was mildly surprised to notice just how tired and anxious Hayate looked when he entered the man's office. His eyebrow bounced up. " Are you okay?"

The brunette shook his head, then coughed. " Just… didn't sleep well last night." The man then coughed again and looked at him. " Another essay?" Apparently he wouldn't get more information.

He felt lightheaded all of a sudden. " Nah. Just… Something happened a while back." He swallowed, still finding what he'd done hard to believe. " I told Sakura everything."

Hayate stared at him with bewilderment for a moment before coughing sharply. " That's…a very good thing, Naruto." The man coughed twice. " Was it as hard as you expected?"

" Yeah." He then grinned lightly. " But… She didn't freak out or anything." He bit his lip. " Though… She said I should tell Sasuke, too – before someone else does."

Hayate nodded, just like he'd expected. " She was right." The man coughed once more. " If you want Sasuke to trust you, to… get him closer, you need to be honest with him."

His eyes flew wide while he blushed. Those were _not_ the words he'd been expecting. " What?!"

Just then Yuugao entered the room, not noticing him at first. " I'm sorry – this damn morning sickness…" She then spotted him, and blushed lightly. " Uh… Hi, Naruto."

He blinked thrice. " Morning sickness…?" Did… that mean what he thought it did? He then realized that this wasn't exactly his place, and started to leave hastily. " I've… got a class to go to. See you later."

Somewhat flushed looking Hayate nodded. " See you later. And good luck."

-

As soon as Naruto had left, Yuugao walked up to Hayate and kissed him so long that they almost ran out of breath.

He blinked, then coughed. " Was that… a yes?"

She chuckled, embracing him with all her might. " What do you think?"

* * *

Naruto felt oddly light when he walked into a classroom. For the first time in a long he managed to forget all about the stupid deal and his past. He knew he was being silly – think he'd be able to just push everything aside – but that day he didn't care.

It felt too good to be just normal.

Even with the risk of pissing off the brunette, he refused to look towards Zaku and the boy's friends when entering the class almost ten minutes too late.

" Ah." His teacher, Kurenai, seemed almost knowing. " So Mr. Namikaze finally arrives."

Hearing the name made everything he'd just managed to avoid thinking flood back, and it took his all to create a grin instead of a grimace. " 'Sorry. I… kinda lost the track of time."

He could clearly hear Zaku snort in the backseat. " And we all know who he was thinking about, don't we?"

Kurenai cut that laughter that almost erupted from the class with a sharp glare towards the young brunette. " One more obtuse comment like that and you're out of the class, Abumi."

Swallowing down a sigh of relief he refused to give in front of these people, Naruto hurried on and slumped to his seat.

Sasuke, who was sitting right next to him, gave him an inquisitive look. " Late again?"

He scoffed lightly, his heart shuddering just a little. " Oh shut it, teme."

" Mr. Namikaze and Mr. Uchiha." Kurenai's voice was between irritated and mischievous. " Since you both showed up late today, why don't you make this newest pair work project together? Ten pages, delivered to me by next Monday. Same rules apply to you all."

While the class moaned objections, Kiba placed a hand to his shoulder and muttered so that no one else heard. " I'm so sorry, man."

" You know…" He didn't now that he was grinning while he glanced towards Sasuke, who seemed slightly stiff while looking the other way. " Maybe it's not such a bad thing."

Had he focused on them a little bit more, he might've noticed the knowing looks and nods Kiba, Shikamaru and Shino exchanged.

' He's a goner', Kiba mouthed.

-

As the class ended and everyone – including Kurenai – left, Naruto found himself stalling. It was too bad he wasn't the only one who did so.

He shuddered when feeling a harsh hand on his shoulder. " I told you not to get too close, _Uzumaki_", Zaku's voice all but hissed. " Because it's time to move this thing to level two."

He frowned, feeling sick to his stomach, when turning towards the boy. " What the hell are you talking about?"

He felt sick when a paper was handed to him. " Give this to your… little friend the first of January without taking a single peak on the paper, or our deal is officially off. Understood?"

He frowned and wanted to ask so badly it burned his throat, but knew that he wouldn't be getting any answers.

Zaku's voice sounded ominous while the boy walked away. " I suggest you enjoy the time you have with your playmate while you can." With that the teen was gone.

* * *

Pretty late that night Naruto lay in his bed, unable to get a wink of sleep with Zaku's words bouncing around in his head.

It, however, appeared that he wasn't the only one with such a problem. Bed sighed while Gaara shifted. " You're not asleep, are you?"

He sighed heavily while rubbing his face. " No", he all but moaned.

There was a moment of silence. " Is this about Sasuke again?"

He shook his head, although he knew the redhead couldn't even see it in the dark. " I'd… rather not talk about it, okay? I don't want to get a headache." He then frowned. " What's keeping you awake?" It seemed they always talked about his problems these days, although he could tell there'd been something bothering his friend for a long time already. It was a high time to ask.

Gaara remained silent for the longest time. " A… friend of mine just came back to Konoha, and… I don't know." Was that a groan he heard? " I've always been bad at this."

His eyebrow arched. " Is he really just a friend?" To him, Gaara's silence said 'I don't have a clue'. " What about Deidara?"

Now, it was definitely a groan his ears caught. " Now _I'm_ getting a headache."

He smirked guiltily to the darkness. " Sorry."

The redhead sighed heavily. " Maybe we should both just grow some balls and get all sorted out."

He couldn't help chuckling quietly at that. " Yeah, I guess." After a moment he whispered once more. " Hey, Gaara?" There was no response – the redhead had fallen asleep.

Sighing heavily, he took a better position in his bed.

This'd be a long night.

* * *

Five days later the school arranged a skating event. Once more Naruto managed to forget all about his problems while having fun with his friends.

After visibly having held himself back for ages, Shikamaru finally laughed when watching Naruto's rather pathetic attempts to skate. " You, are absolutely hopeless."

He stuck his tongue out at the boy. " Am not! These skates are old and rusty, okay? They're killing my feet and refusing from cooperation."

Kiba rolled his eyes with a grin. " Yeah, right…"

" That's it!" He turned sharply towards Sasuke, and blushed when ending up all but leaning against the raven for a moment. " Teme, you're going help me prove these jackasses that I've actually learned something."

The Uchiha scoffed. " Why would I want to?"

He shrugged, faking an innocent expression. " Because I won't stop pestering you all evening if you don't."

The boy looked at him for a while, as though trying to determine whether he was serious, then scoffed, knowing he'd lost this one. " Fine. But if you end up injuring me, I'll smash your ass."

He rolled his eyes. " Let's just get going."

They were blissfully unaware of the knowing looks Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino exchanged while they went.

They skated slowly for a while, and he found himself mesmerized by the patterns they managed to create onto ice's surface.

In the end he couldn't keep himself from speaking. " Sasuke… Why did you stop competing?" Meeting a 'what's that to you?' look he scoffed. " You're good, and I think you know it, too. So why?"

The boy shrugged stiffly, looking away with somewhat hazy eyes. " It's… a long and boring story, dobe." Somehow he doubted it'd be anything such. Eyes once more as sharp as always the raven looked at him, tilting his head a little without seeming to notice. " Are you going to continue this third degree, or do you want to skate?"

He stuck out his tongue, then – not bothering to resist the urge anymore – took a proper hold of Sasuke, first cautiously, then more strongly when something in the raven's movements told him that he hadn't made a mistake. His hold became even tighter when his balance swayed, and he was forced to look for support. Without thinking about it the slightest he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waistline, and before he knew it they were spinning around wildly.

Obsidian eyes were demanding when meeting his. " Dobe, what the heck do you think you're doing?"

He smirked somewhat sheepishly, feeling his chest move too fast. " I… would've fallen down, okay?" He was confused by how easily the lie came.

Sasuke, however, didn't seem to buy his words. The raven rolled his eyes, but didn't push him away.

Music still played in the background while they kept spinning around in breathtaking patterns, faster and faster, until he was so dizzy that he felt like he'd been snatched out of his very body. That state turned out to be very dangerous.

They both shivered when he leaned even closer to Sasuke all of a sudden, his lips fumbling for the raven's. Their spinning, along with time, stilled while he remained millimetres away, fighting furiously against the temptation when Sasuke's warm, erratic breathing tickled his face.

Then, so abruptly that he blinked, the Uchiha pulled away. " I've gotta go." Wild animal's horrified, flaming eyes met his. " I was supposed to leave an hour ago."

As the boy skated away rapidly, with him being able to do nothing but stand there and stare, he knew for a fact that he'd just screwed up big time.

-

Against his will Sasuke's breathing wheezed a little while he leaned against the nearest wall out of Naruto's sight he could find. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and balled his fists, furiously trying to force his breathing into evening out.

_Damn it…_

" Sasuke?" Suigetsu's voice caught him by surprise. The boy was looking at him with an arched eyebrow. " What are you doing?"

His eyes narrowed a bit. " Nothing." He started to move, relieved to find that it wasn't all that difficult. " Let's go."

* * *

On the other side of the rink Sakura disregarded all the sounds of her reason and skated over to Neji, who was waiting for her with two disposable mugs of what looked like hot drinks.

This new closeness between them wasn't something she would've planned, especially with everything she knew about him. But she felt completely powerless against what felt stronger than a force of nature.

Brushing away those ridiculous thoughts she went on, stood right before him.

Neji gave her an inquisitive look. " What's that face about?"

She shook her head, signalling that this wasn't a subject they'd need to talk about. She then glanced at the mugs in his hands. " You actually got us something to drink."

Neji shrugged, handing one mug to her. It felt comfortably warm. " It's just hot chocolate – no big deal."

She couldn't keep herself from smiling a bit, although she didn't know if she should've been irritated. " _Merci_ anyway." She took one sip. The taste of chocolate filled her mouth, rolled on her tongue. " It's… good."

Neji seemed to take a step closer when she shivered a little from cold. " Hmm." He spoke again once they'd stood in silence for a long time. " Does this mean that I'm in your book of good guys again?"

One corner of her mouth twitched – out of annoyance or amusement, she didn't know. " We'll see."

They stood in an amazingly comfortable silence for quite a while, until she caught Neji looking at her. She frowned a bit, feeling uncomfortable with his gaze on her all of a sudden. " What are you doing?"

His expression didn't change. " There's… some hot chocolate on the right side of your mouth", he all but murmured, seeming to lean closer.

For a moment she was sure he'd kiss her, and became confused because of feeling disappointed when he brushed the hot chocolate away with his fingertips instead.

She blinked twice, then licked her lips, finding a foreign taste. " Thanks…"

" Hn."

Another silence, slightly more tense this time around, fell as they wondered where they should've headed next. Finally her thoughts strayed to barely audible murmurs.

" … the heck is he doing now?"

" What a drama queen."

" What's going on between those two, anyway?"

" What's he doing to Naruto?"

Turning her gaze, she noticed that some people had turned their attention to Sasuke, who was leaving the ice with a stormy expression. Fighting with herself not to head after him – because she knew she'd only cause more damage – she forced her eyes to move to Naruto. At first the blonde stared at Sasuke's distancing back with an expression that was almost enough to break her heart, then fought on a scarily skilled grin and started fooling around when Kiba, Shikamaru and Shino appeared to him.

She had no idea if she would've wanted to yell, groan, cry, strangle the boy or hug him.

Damn it, Naruto… What are you doing to yourself – to the both of you?

" Sakura?" Neji's frown of worry seemed genuine. " Is something wrong?"

She sighed heavily. " I really hope not."

Yet somehow she had a feeling that there was a storm incoming.

* * *

Later that evening Hinata's heart twitched a bit while she followed Itachi towards the boy's home.

Of course she enjoyed the time they spent together – more than she should've. But these moments, when she had to leave him, and Sasuke as well, with his father… They hurt, because there was nothing she could've done to change things. She was once again utterly helpless.

She moved her gaze to Itachi when he sighed. There was a dark expression upon his face. " What's wrong?" she inquired, not even noticing that she didn't stutter.

She could distinguish something distant and foreign in the smile he barely managed. " It's… nothing." His unseeing gaze was unusually vacant and dark. " I just… don't like this part all that much."

Although there was a seed of truth in those words she felt saddened, almost insulted. Did Itachi really think she didn't _see_ – that she couldn't tell how hard it was for him to fake that everything was all right, that she didn't notice how his whole body shuddered with guilt every time he spoke Sasuke's name, that she didn't understand why he never allowed his father to see her?

She had to fight not to sigh with defeat. How was she supposed to help if this was the closest she got?

And that day, she finally decided that it was time to make her move. " Look…" She swallowed thickly, braced herself; she couldn't stutter now, couldn't show the slightest sign of hesitation. " You and Sasuke… I know you're not safe here."

She could feel Itachi's startle at her words – he shuddered visibly, as though he'd been electrocuted. His mouth opened, but then a gasp escaped as he apparently sensed something she didn't know of yet. " Sasuke…"

In an instant she turned her gaze and gasped as well, bringing a hand to her mouth.

Outside the unnaturally dark house Sasuke had slumped into snow, as though having lost all his strength. She could see bloodied gashes and bruises _everywhere_, and didn't even want to think about the amount of pain they must've caused.

In a matter of seconds Itachi had rushed over to his brother, who barely reacted. " Sasuke?" There was nothing. " Sasuke, are you alright?" She could actually hear his terror, and could only imagine how horrible it must've felt like not being able to see what had happened, not knowing how deep the damage went this time.

She watched in silence how Itachi wrapped a pair of arms around Sasuke – as though the other had been five again – and closed his younger brother into a protective embrace. Rage and sadness fought over room on the older teen's face. " It's going to be alright, Sasuke", she could just hear the other murmur. Unseeing eyes smouldered. " It's alright."

She expected Sasuke to break down in tears, to even scream. Instead, however, the boy lowered his gaze so that black bangs fell to hide battered face, remained utterly silent and still.

At that moment, watching the all but broken brothers, she realized that there _was_ a way…

-

Her father was by no means Hinata's favorite person. But this time there was no other choice. He was on one of the leading spots of the police station – if anyone could help, it was he.

Hiashi gave her a rather suspicious look when she handed him a mug of steaming chamomile tea. He turned his gaze away from the window to loo at her. " What do you want?"

She took a deep breath, and didn't dare to speak until he looked away again. " There's… There's this f-friend of mine… He's in a t-trouble. I think h-his father is a-abusive."

The man remained silent for so long that she was sure he wouldn't react. " Who is this… friend?" His voice was stiff, suspicious.

She swallowed thickly. " I-Itachi. Itachi Uchiha."

To her stun the mug fell from Hiashi's hand. The man didn't turn towards her. " Did you… just say Uchiha?"

She frowned, feeling cold shivers. " Yes. Why?"

Without saying a word or cleaning up the mess he'd caused her father walked away, into his office, and slammed the door shut.

* * *

Kimimaro hadn't showed up the night Gaara had asked him to, but the redhead refused to give up on hope. That's why he went to that horrible, stinking bar almost every night although it sickened him.

That night he shivered a little when Deidara's fingers hit his neck while they danced. " So this is what I need to do to get your attention these days."

A slight wave of guilt washed over him while he me his boyfriend's gaze. " Sorry", he all but sighed, not really knowing how to explain himself. " I'm just… worried, I guess."

Deidara's eyebrow bounced up. " About Kimimaro, hmm?"

He shivered a little, but didn't really have the guts to admit it. He frowned. " How do you know him, anyway?"

Deidara shrugged, then made him feel almost uncomfortably warm with a kiss directed to the right spot. " We… worked together for a while, after Sasori… resigned. That's all, un."

Somehow he had a feeling that he should've asked a lot more, but in the end his attention was directed elsewhere. For just then Kimimaro perhaps more limped than stepped into the bar, most of the boy's face remaining shadowed.

Sensing his stiffness, Deidara spoke. " Go, un. Be a good friend."

He just had to smile a bit at that. " Thanks." After giving it a bit of thought he kissed the blonde's lips. " I'll call you as soon as we're done, okay?"

Had he not been in such a rush to leave, he might've noticed the strange look upon the boy's face. " Hmm."

With that he walked up to Kimimaro. " So you did show up." He wished he wouldn't have sounded as excited as he did.

Those… weren't bruises he met when the boy looked at him, were they? " I'm… sorry I'm late, but… I'd like to have that tour now – if the offer still stands."

He didn't hesitate to fulfil the request.

And so they spent all night together. He showed Kimimaro the orphanage – which was where they'd first met, where they'd been the closest of friends – a huge, old store – where they'd been caught stealing candy, after which Danzo had made them spend a night in jail – a small, beautiful pond – to which they'd always run off to see fireflies – and finally a park to which they'd come countless of times, and where they'd shared their first, quick and small kiss – just to try it, not to deepen their friendship or anything, they'd told themselves.

While they sat on swings Gaara cast a look towards the white haired, feeling his heart beat a little bit too fast. " So… Do you remember anything?" He was careful to hide just how hopeful he was, to not let on just how much this meant to him.

He could've never imagined feeling the kind of disappointment he did when Kimimaro shook his head lightly, refusing to look at him. " I'm sorry, but… It's just too blurry."

He swallowed down the bitter taste of disappointment, looking towards the cold snow underneath him. " It's alright."

After a moment's silence Kimimaro spoke again, so softly that he had to strain his ears to catch it. " I… like it here, though. That much I know." He could sense the other's eyes on him, which felt surprisingly good. " Thank you, for all this."

Gaara definitely wasn't the type that'd smile often. But at that moment his lips curved upwards.

They stayed in that park until sunrise – he never noticing Deidara's persistent phone calls and Kimimaro defying something far more dangerous.

* * *

Naruto's feet were somewhat heavy while he made his way to the school that day, much before he would've had to. He was by no means an early bird, but that morning – with one of Danzo's 'inspections' going on – he hadn't been able to make himself stay in the orphanage for another minute, let alone hours.

And it looked like he'd made the right decision, for as he approached the school he found a very familiar figure stood before the building's door as though paralyzed.

" Sasuke?" Feeling an extremely nasty sensation of déjà vu he approached slowly, stood as nearby the obviously distraught teen as he dared to. He felt like whimpering a little when seeing all the cuts and bruises. The only good thing he could come up with was that at least this time there was no reek of alcohol – Sasuke was dealing with this sober. The boy didn't react to him, instead stared straight forward with glazed eyes. He was starting to feel panicked. " Sasuke, do you hear me?"

" I had one of my father's bottles in my hand." They both jolted when Sasuke spoke. The raven's eyes were still hazy and unfocused, didn't glance his way. " I came here instead."

He nodded lightly, not knowing what to say for a long moment. " That's good." He then frowned, fighting the urge to brush a lock of stray hair from the boy's face. " Why don't you go inside? Aren't you cold?"

The Uchiha cast his eyes downwards, then whispered so quietly he barely heard. " I…" The boy cleared his throat, appearing utterly embarrassed. " It's not that easy, idiot."

After hesitating for just a second he moved one arm, and found it almost scarily easy to push the nearly scrawny teen into movement. " Let's go and clean you up a bit, okay?" he murmured.

-

About half an hour later – a good time before most of the students would appear – Sasuke looked almost like nothing had ever happened. It was deviously easy to imagine that those bruises had been nothing but a nightmare of some sort.

Naruto, however, felt like facing the facts.

He led Sasuke into a break room for students he'd found accidentally a couple of days earlier, then pushed the raven to sit on a couch because it seemed the boy wouldn't do it on his own and sat hesitantly to the Uchiha's side.

They remained in silence for quite a while before he found himself whispering. " Sasuke… Who does this to you?"

The raven's eyes narrowed, and he could tell every single shield was up, pushing him away. " I don't want to talk about it."

Cautiously, fearing he'd make a disastrous mistake, he reached out his fingers and brushed one of the by then covered bruises. He never meant to do it, never meant to make Sasuke shudder the way the boy did just then, but couldn't control himself. " You… You don't have to take this, you know? You don't have to let anyone do this to you."

Sasuke's eyes flashed – with anger he knew was mostly directed towards the boy himself – and the Uchiha looked away sharply, seeming… confused and helpless, almost. " I don't need your help", the raven all but hissed after what felt like several minutes.

He rolled his eyes. " Yeah, right." He suspected they were equally surprised by both the fact that he wrapped his arms around Sasuke, and that the other didn't try to escape from the embrace. As though something had been calling him he looked towards the sky through the nearest window, enjoyed when snow fell softly. " Kinda cool, ne?"

Did Sasuke just… snuggle closer? " Hn."

After that they sat there in a silence, Sasuke trying to get used to his embrace and he holding the boy as tightly as he dared to.

Neither could tell exactly when it happened, but by the time school really started they were fast asleep.

-

They, of course, couldn't know that they weren't alone while they slept.

Zaku was careful not to make a sound while he entered the room and walked very close to the sleeping couple that seemed pretty comfortable in each other's arms. His eyes flashed.

_This should be fun…_

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: (hisses at a certain brunette) Okay, who wants to kill Zaku right now? (lifts both hands up) Awww, poor boneheads! I really hope Naruto gets over his confusion soon enough and gets on with it. (taps foot impatiently)

Agh, time's running out – AGAIN – so I've gotta get speeding away. **PLEASE**, don't forget to leave a comment before you do the same!

'Til next time, everyone – I really hope I'll be seeing all of you then! I'm trying to get January out during this month, but I don't dare to promise anything.

Take care!

* * *

**colgate**: (chuckles) You're very welcome! Though trust me, update was definitely my pleasure. (grins)

Monumental thank yous for the review – I'm absolutely ecstatic to hear you found the chappy interesting! 'Hope you'll be sticking around.

-

**tye**: Lemon, hmm? Well, I'm horrible when it comes to turning down requests, so… (grins) Maybe not in the next chappy yet, but eventually… Whoever knows… (smirks mysteriously with a wink)

**To those reading this who aren't exactly fans of lemon**: No worries – if/when (?) lemon parts occur, I'll definitely mark them so that they can be avoided. So no worries there. (grins)

Heh, and you just made me grin quite a bit with announcing that you actually loved the chappy. (hugs) Thank you!  
Colossal thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll be staying tuned.

-

**lalala**: Aww! (grins like a madwoman) I'm absolutely ecstatic and baffled here to hear someone complimenting my writing. (huuugs) Arigato!

(snickers) Yaoi ahoy indeed! (waves flags until gets glomped by the badly blushing cast of Naruto)

Hmm… If Zaku's plan is anything like in 'SBH'… We'll let's say you're VERY close. (nods with a mysterious grins) You just earned yourself some muffins for that. (hands over)

Gigantic thank yous for the review! I really hope you'll like the rest as well, and that I'll be seeing you around.


	7. January

A/N: Yosh! After quite a hectic weekend and a lot of furious typing the new chapter is FINALLY done. (wipes forehead)

First off, thank you SO MUCH for those fantastic reviews! (HUUUUUUGS) You seriously make an author want to write more, ya know? (grins) Thank you! **Responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy, un.

Awkay, because time shows no mercy for busy authors, let's get jiggy with it. (rubs hands together) 'Hope you'll enjoy.

* * *

CHAPTER 7: January

* * *

Naruto had always found it depressing to start a new year in the orphanage, where they were forced to be quiet and pretend being asleep from nine o'clock while Danzo kept watch. That year, he decided to come up with something different.

Year had changed about four hours earlier while he sat on a high rooftop, watching with a huge grin how rockets colored the sky. Back in the orphanage, he could've never imagined the event could be this beautiful.

" I should've known you'd be here." Sasuke's familiar voice surprised him, but he didn't feel startled. The raven seemed almost amused while climbing up fire ladder and sitting beside him.

He was confused by how happy he felt by seeing the other. A grin appeared without being called. " Happy New Year, teme."

" Hn."

They remained in a comfortable silence for a while, until he chose to break it. " What are you doing here, anyway?"

The raven shrugged, stunningly enough not appearing annoyed by his question. " This is a tradition, I guess." The boy mused for a moment. " It's always nice up here."

" I know." He couldn't resist grinning again. " I've come here since I was six. I used to stand on the edge and pretended I could fly. Still do sometimes."

Sasuke snorted. " You're a brat, dobe."

He attempted to swat the raven's head gently, but it came out more as a caress. " Don't mock me, teme."

His hand twitched just a little bit while moving closer to the Uchiha's, and he was almost sure he felt some warmth radiating against his glowed fingers, coming from Sasuke's approaching touch. He licked his lips and swallowed, his throat feeling unnaturally dry all of a sudden.

The moment had every chance of being perfect. But unfortunately a blow of wind appeared just then, and before he could do a thing it'd grabbed a paper from his pocket, tossed it to the rooftop before them. '_To Sasuke_' was written on it, in Zaku's handwriting.

_Oh shit…_, was all that fit into his head.

At that exact moment Sasuke grabbed the paper. " What's that?"

His heart jumped into his throat. That was something he had _not_ wanted Sasuke to see, at least before he'd be fully certain what to do. " Don't…"

But it was too late. Sasuke had already folded the paper open, and he could see a dangerous flash in the obsidian eyes. The Uchiha was silent for quite a while before looking at him with a smouldering gaze. " Naruto… What the heck is this?"

He barely heard, because all his attention was locked to the text before him.

What Zaku had given him was an advertisement, that of a skating contest that'd take place in February. The last day to enrol would be at the end of January.

At that moment – seeing Sasuke's expression and how the boy's fists trembled, obviously in an attempt to hold back emotions – he understood exactly why Zaku had wanted the raven to have this poster. Gosh, the Uchiha seemed almost as upset as back when he'd found the boy drunk!

And he realized that he'd made one of the biggest mistakes in his entire life when accepting the mysterious message for Sasuke.

He swallowed thickly, wondering what he could possibly say that wouldn't make the situation worse. " Are you… mad?" was what he came up with in the end.

For several long moments the raven didn't react, until words escaped through tightly grit teeth. " No."

He would've wanted to say so much – that he was sorry, that this wasn't his idea, that the other had no reason to be upset. But unfortunately he was interrupted by a sound of a furious car horn coming from the street below.

In more ways than one Sasuke had slipped away before he could take a breath. " I've gotta go."

And with that the Uchiha disappeared with climbing down fire ladder, taking the disastrous advertisement with him.

Naruto didn't see the raven for days after that. When they met again they did their best to pretend the rooftop incident had never happened.

* * *

Yuugao had hated hospitals since she was five. If it wasn't for Hayate's hand holding hers, she would've probably ran off while waiting outside a nurse's office.

Two soft coughs brought her out of her mess of thoughts. " Your hand's shaking." Hayate's voice was calm, comforting. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, then coughed. " Relax. Everything's alright."

She couldn't help smiling at him. " You know what?" she all but murmured. " I believe you."

" I'm sorry I kept you waiting." The voice of Shizune – a rather kind nurse she'd already met once the day she'd found out she was pregnant – interrupted the moment. The woman smiled when seeing Hayate. " Ah, I see the father also wanted to come along."

Hayate coughed again, also smiling. " Wouldn't have missed this for a thing."

Yuugao, on the other hand, found herself growing restless once more. There was weird squirming in her stomach, and the hospital was getting to her. " Let's go and get this over with."

While she stormed past them she couldn't see the knowing, amused look the two exchanged.

After a huge list of questions and a lot of poking that made her feel uncomfortable finally came the part Yuugao had been waiting for. Shizune revealed a device she'd never seen before, then took some gel and smeared it to one piece of the machine. " Soon we'll get to hear your baby's heartbeat for the first time", the nurse announced, sounding almost as excited as she felt. " This may feel a little cold."

She shuddered when the nearly icy gel connected with her bare stomach, but Hayate's hold on her hand made her calm down soon enough.

At first there was nothing, and she almost grew worried until the most amazing sound she'd ever heard filled the entire room. Loud, extremely rapid thumping. She brought her free hand to her mouth, with her eyes almost in tears, and couldn't keep herself from smiling when looking at Hayate who seemed utterly baffled.

" 160", Shizune announced. She felt disappointed when the device was removed, and the sound of a heartbeat disappeared. " Your baby's already a lively little thing."

As soon as the gel had been removed she brought her hand gently to her stomach, pleased to find that Hayate followed the gesture, most likely subconsciously. " Yeah", she murmured. " I can feel it."

After a moment they were already leaving, having booked an appointment to a doctor in three weeks. Just when they were about to dash out of the place Hayate suddenly stopped with a scowl and coughs. " I forgot my jacket. I'll be back in a bit."

With reluctance she let the man leave. Just as he'd disappeared into Shizune's office she gasped when feeling three sharp, alarmingly painful twinges in her stomach. She brought a hand to shield the baby and gasped, shivering and frowning.

What… the hell was that about?

" Hey." She shivered again when feeling Hayate's hand on her shoulder. " What's wrong?"

Surprisingly enough she managed to create a tiny smile, feeling tremendously relieved when the pain disappeared. " It's… nothing." She leaned closer to the man – her fiancé, she added gladly inside her head. " Let's just go, okay? I hate this place."

* * *

Not all that far away from where Hayate and Yuugao were Sakura walked through the hallways, frowning as she tried to find the place where she could sign in for volunteering work – which was something she'd promised to do as a new year's resolution.

She was just about to speak to a nurse who rushed past her when something – or rather someone – caught her attention, enough so make her eyes widen.

_What the…?!_

For walking out of a maternity ward nearby was a girl with brown hair and the eyes of that same color. She knew her very well – after all, the brunette was none other than her best friend. " T… TenTen?"

The brunette all but jumped, then – so rapidly it might've baffled her in some other situation – created a skilful grin. " Hey! Long time no see."

It took several moments, but eventually her voice started to work. " What… are you doing here?" _In Konoha, in _that_ ward?_

It took a moment before TenTen managed to come up with a response. " I was just… visiting someone, that's all." The brunette then grew solemn, almost horrified. " Don't tell Neji you saw me here, please. Promise me."

She blinked, her head still buzzing so that she feared it wouldn't last long. " I won't." She felt disgusted by how easily that response came. " But you never answered…"

" Ten." Turning around, he saw a very attractive boy at their age with long, neatly tied black hair and extremely gentle dark eyes. " Is everything alright?"

The smile TenTen granted him was slightly shaky, but Sakura had a feeling the nervousness had nothing to do with him. " I'm fine, Haku. We need to go." This time, the thin smile darted her way didn't seem forced. " I hope we can really talk again soon. I'll call you – and this time I mean it."

As soon as the two had disappeared she gave a deep, shuddering sigh.

Somehow she had a feeling that soon enough things would become even more complicated.

She walked, almost ran, out of the hospital, never remembering why she'd came there in the first place.

Once outside she opened her cell phone for some reason she just couldn't understand. A loud groan erupted when she met a new text message from Neji.

_I had fun last night._

_Where are you?_

Coming from Neji, that second sentence was as good as someone else's 'I miss you already'.

For some reason she barely made it to the nearest snow covered bush before throwing up gloriously.

* * *

In the meantime in school's library Naruto and Sasuke were desperately trying to focus on schoolwork. That, however, turned out to be rather tricky when their thoughts kept spinning a million miles away, especially in the aftermath of those events on the rooftop.

" Now this is cool!" Naruto, who'd just found a biology book, exclaimed all of a sudden, taking a glance towards Sasuke who seemed ready to doze off at any given moment. " Did you know that a female praying mantis often eats the male after or during the mating? The male can keep going even without its head." He shuddered, imagining it. " Gross."

That, at least, caught Sasuke's attention. The boy quirked an eyebrow, appearing mildly nauseated. " And that's the kind of stuff you actually read without being forced?"

He scoffed. " I just wanted to get your attention – you look like you haven't slept in weeks."

A somewhat moody look was darted towards him. " I'm perfectly fine, idiot – not that it would be any of your business."

" Grouch", he accused, then found his eyebrows furrowing. " What's with you, anyway? You've been even snappier than usual lately." He then came up with something. " Is it still about that poster or what?"

Sasuke sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. It was easy to spot all the signs of fatigue when light hit the Uchiha's abnormally pale face. " You're not going to back off, are you?"

He nodded determinedly. " That's right." After musing for a second he walked up to the boy and slumped to the chair next to the other's. " Look… I'm sorry if I crossed a line, or something."

It disappeared in a millisecond, but not fast enough to make him miss it. The faintest of smiles. " Dobe."

A huge grin rose to his face as he poked the raven's cheek. " Hey, I saw that!" He didn't even notice that he remained close – much too close. It was as though he'd had no control over himself whatsoever. " You know… You're not as complicated as you always pretend", he announced. Very slowly he became aware of just how little room there was between them, but couldn't bring himself to budge. " And you know what? I think you actually enjoy this."

For a while Sasuke coughed – as though choking on his mere breath – then snorted. " Enjoy, working with a hopeless case like you? I'm not a masochist." The boy cast a warning glance his way. " And right now you're invading my private space."

" Bastard", he breathed out, not moving an inch. The Uchiha didn't do so, either.

" Idiot", Sasuke responded. The eyes boring demandingly into his burned. " What do you think you're doing?"

At that moment, feeling the warmth radiating from Sasuke, Naruto lost control.

His heart leaping in a way he'd never experienced before he leaned forward almost hungrily, fumbling towards the raven's lips without having the slightest clue of what he was doing.

He was allowed to go on for about six seconds until Sasuke apparently caught on. He gasped when he was shoved backwards almost harshly enough to make him fall down.

He blinked, watching how Sasuke's back distanced rapidly. " What…?"

' Don't come anywhere near me', the raven's posture snarled.

He could only blink, his head whirring.

_What the hell did I just do?_

* * *

Very late that evening, Itachi didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he woke up and bolted into a sitting position on his bed when hearing a sound of something breaking. His heart jumped into his throat, knowing long before his ears did.

" … _hell do you bring posters like that to my house?! I won't waste my money on a lost cause!_" There was no question who that voice belonged to.

" _What I do with my life is none of your business – if I want to participate I will!_" Sasuke bellowed back. " _Leave my life the fuck alone!_"

The crash Itachi heard next, and especially the yell of utter agony that followed after, made him wake up from his stupor, jump out of the bed and run.

-

About twenty minutes later – or twenty hours, because that's how long it felt to him – he was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting as Sasuke's broken arm was being treated.

His head spun and hurt, and in some other situation he might've concluded it was because he hadn't eaten properly in a full day, or slept well in days.

He would've needed someone reliable, someone who would've soothed him and told him none of the recent events was his fault. Instead he got his father, whose usual reek of alcohol made him feel sick.

" What the hell is taking them so long?" the man grumbled. " They aren't creating him a new arm or anything."

" Shut up." The hiss he emitted surprised even him, as did the fact that he repeated it. " Just shut up already."

He could only guess what his father would've done if it wasn't for a male voice he didn't recognize appearing. " Fugaku, get up, will you."

" Hiashi?" He could feel his father tense up. " What the hell are you doing here?"

Was that grit of teeth? " We need to talk." He could feel someone's gaze brushing him. " Let's step aside for a moment."

He realized he was shivering just a little as he listened to the distancing steps, and even more so when the first hushed voices started to rise. This was all getting too much for him.

" Itachi." Hinata's voice, although quiet, made him shudder. " Are you okay? I got worried when you called."

He nodded, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. " I am. There's no need to worry about me."

Hard as he tried not to, he found his ears sharpening to the men's voices.

" … colleagues! What the hell are you pestering me for?"

" Sasuke's arm was broken – I managed to dig that much out of the doctor", Hiashi snarled. " And it appears he's received several strange injuries during the past years. What the heck are you doing to him? Do you want me to call social workers?"

" Call _anyone_, and there'll be a hell to pay – _mate_."

" Don't listen", Hinata whispered to his ear, and he realized that in a scarily fast pace he lost himself to the soothing voice. " Just… Just ignore them, okay?"

As he listened to her sound, he realized that ignoring all bad things in the world might be easier than he'd imagined.

-

Hinata didn't know what to think or say while the men kept arguing and almost fist fighting. All she realized was that she'd have to react to this situation.

In the end she swallowed thickly. " I… I'm sorry." She didn't care about the way her voice sounded at the moment. " I… I shouldn't have told him, I…"

To her surprise Itachi shook his head. " It had to be done eventually – before…" She didn't even want to know which words became swallowed down. He visibly gathered himself for a moment. " So… what now?"

She blinked, only then realizing that she hadn't thought about that question in beforehand. " I… I don't know", she was forced to admit in the end.

Itachi's unseeing eyes darkened, and silence fell.

" It'll be okay", she murmured eventually, wrapping her arms around him without noticing it. " It'll be okay in the end, I promise."

-

Itachi squeezed his eyes tightly shut, despite all the years he'd been blind surprised when it was still dark.

He emitted a sigh even Hinata couldn't hear, not bothering to try and make her let go when he really needed this touch.

_I really hope you're right_, he mused. _Because… I have no idea how much longer Sasuke will be able to take this._

* * *

The next two weeks passed agonizingly slowly for Naruto. Sasuke was officially avoiding him, pushing him further than he'd been to begin with. It didn't make matters the slightest bit easier that Zaku kept bugging him almost daily, pressuring him to make his move. Surprisingly enough it was the former fact that troubled him more.

If he was completely honest with himself, he missed Sasuke.

He sighed agitatedly, turning around in his bed.

He wished he could've just turned his back on all the crap and pretended none of it ever happened, but it was much too late for that.

" Naruto?" Gaara's voice took him by surprise. " Are you alright?"

He opened his mouth, but instead of the lie he'd just come up with a strange, choked sound came. It took a while before he managed to actually speak. " I… I'm just thinking too much."

Gaara mused for a long moment before all but whispering. " He'll come around eventually, Naruto. Just like Kimimaro. They're not gone from our lives forever."

He closed his eyes and bit his lip hard.

He really hoped Gaara was right. Because otherwise… he'd probably never forgive himself.

-

Gaara, who was stood before a window looking out, sighed inwardly while listening to the muffled sounds he recognized much too well. At the moment he understood Naruto perfectly.

Just as he opened his mouth he spotted movement in the yard spreading before him. Before he could ask a thing he nearly gasped when none other than Kimimaro was stood below him, preparing to climb up towards the window.

_What…?!_

By then Naruto also got out of the bed, appearing confused. " What are you looking at?"

At that exact moment came Kimimaro's voice. " Can… I come up there?"

He finally woke up enough to nod. " Of course."

A tremendous amount of gratitude flashed in those green eyes, and the boy climbed up faster than should've been humanly possibly although the action seemed to cause difficulty. He hoped dearly he only imagined seeing Kimimaro limp, although – as the boy stepped out of the shadows – he came to realize he most definitely hadn't. The boy was completely bruised and cut, and he could only guess the extend of damage he wasn't able to see. " I'm… sorry, I… I wasn't sure where to find you, if I should come. But your window was open…"

Beside him Naruto gasped.

He was by no means someone to show feelings openly, or even someone who would've allowed himself to feel too much. But at that moment, he felt his eyes widen and something between a hiss and a gasp broke through his lips. " What the hell happened?"

Kimimaro closed his eyes, appearing pained although his expression didn't change the slightest. " Please." Somehow it felt almost unbearably wrong to hear the white haired plead. " Just… Don't ask, please."

He nodded, although everything inside him screamed against it. He'd do _anything_ to keep the boy from running off in this condition. " Alright." His voice was uncharacteristically soft, but at the moment that made no difference.

Kimimaro didn't react to his words in any way whatsoever, instead sat down to his bed, pulled his legs against his chest and buried his face to them, as though wanting to vanish.

At that moment, apparently, Naruto chose to flee. " I… had something I was supposed to do, anyway." He barely noticed how his best friend disappeared through the window.

Slowly, processing every move carefully as though he'd been performing them for the first time, he moved, swiftly gathered some equipment for fixing the damage. He almost started the work until Kimimaro cast a somewhat frantic look towards him, then shook his head firmly. " No, don't." The boy appeared terrified of even the mere idea of a touch, which scared him – he'd never seen the other get like this.

He would've wanted to ask several questions, but in the end he realized that he was most likely doomed to get no answers, so he pressed his lips firmly together until he could come up with something else. " Look…" He paused, unsure as to where he should start. There was so much on his tongue all of a sudden that he just didn't know what to do with it all. " I'm glad you came here." _And once you're better I will personally kill whoever did this to you._

Finally, he got a reaction. Slowly, uncertainly, Kimimaro lifted his gaze and blinked at him, appearing utterly baffled. It was like the boy hadn't believed someone could be happy to see him. " Thank you", was what he got eventually, although so silently he barely heard.

Unfortunately the comfortable moment was cut when his old, extremely loud cell phone decided to snap to life. He cussed inwardly at how Kimimaro shuddered at the sound. " What?"

Deidara's familiar chuckle made him want to bite his tongue. " _Geez, aren't you snappy today._"

He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. " 'Sorry. I was just…" He cast an extremely chaste glance towards Kimimaro. " I think I'm coming down with a flue or something." It was true, actually – his head and throat had been sore all day, and he was almost sure he had fever.

" _Do you want me to come over?_"

" No." It came faster than he'd expected. " I was supposed to get some rest, anyway. And didn't you have a meeting?"

" _Yeah._" There were sounds, as though whispers. " _I'll call you tomorrow. Try to get better, un._"

He blinked a bit and frowned, not entirely sure why he did so. " Yeah. 'Til tomorrow." That sealed the phone call.

Lying to Deidara was becoming a habit to him, he might've noticed if he'd paused to think about it for even a second. He might've also wondered why it didn't bother him the slightest.

At the moment, however, he had far more important things in mind.

Giving a barely audible sigh, he thought about wrapping one arm around Kimimaro, who seemed to be struggling against falling asleep. Instead, however – not wanting to cause any further damage and unsure what he really wanted to do – he settled with sitting beside the boy, hoping that his presence was enough of comfort because it was all he could offer.

No words were passed or required.

-

Deidara frowned a little after hanging up.

_Now that was weird._

" Let me guess", the voice of Sasori – his landlord and, despite their age difference, friend – stated. " Another lame excuse?"

He shot a rather nasty look towards the redhead. " Just shut it, un."

" There's no use in snapping at me, brat", Sasori pointed out. The older male held a tiny pause. " I'm not watching you moping a single night more."

His eyebrow bounced up. " What do you have in mind?"

* * *

When making his way to the downtown, Naruto was mildly surprised to find Sakura from a bookstore he'd visited sometimes when he'd been younger.

" Hey", he greeted when entering after she'd opened a door to his knocks, a tiny frown on his face. " What are you doing here?"

The girl sighed a little, taking a peak towards a door nearby he hadn't noticed before. " Sasuke's mother… She bought this store a month before her death." She held a tiny pause. " This place just got a new owner, who wants to move in soon. I'm helping him pack up now that he sent Itachi resting."

He swallowed, feeling very bad for some reason. " Oh." He then came to think of something. " I… I need to talk to him. Where is he?"

Sakura's eyes flashed knowingly. " In the back. And in case you're wondering he's alone."

He smirked nervously, starting to saunter forth. " Thanks."

" Naruto." Sakura's green eyes were sharp and worried. " Just… Remember that he's not having it easy, okay? Promise me you won't make any further damage."

He swallowed thickly. " I… I promise I'll try."

Sakura nodded, her face relaxing a little. Apparently that answer was enough for her. " In that case good luck."

Not knowing what to say he simply nodded, then went on.

Just like the pinkette had told him Sasuke was at the pack, stuffing books and other things into boxes. Naruto winced when seeing the cast covering the boy's arm, feeling a storm of guilt although he wasn't entirely sure why.

Sasuke, apparently, caught some sound he made, because the Uchiha's ear twitched before the boy turned to look at him. Onyx eyes darkened still. " Oh", was all the other said.

He swallowed, feeling extremely nervous all of a sudden. " Umm… I was passing by, and well…" He shrugged, feeling like a total moron. " I hope you don't mind." Once more his eyes strayed to the cast. " You look like you could use a hand."

Sasuke emitted a sound he couldn't identify, starting to move with a box. " I'm going."

His eyes narrowed a little. " Teme, you can't just avoid me forever!" He didn't go on until the other had finally stopped, tense back still to him. " If… If I've messed up too badly, I want to know. If that…" No, he wouldn't say 'kiss', not now. " If _it_ was wrong, just tell me, yell at me, punch me! Just stop this damn game!"

Sasuke moved so slowly that the wait was almost unbearable, but eventually the raven had turned towards him. For the longest moment they looked at each other – he practically holding his breath and the Uchiha's expression completely unreadable. Finally somewhat tense words broke through the other's lips. " Why?" At first he had no clue what the boy meant. " Why did you give me that poster?"

He couldn't understand why, but he found it bothering that Sasuke considered the poster more urgent than the attempted kiss. Or perhaps the raven wasn't ready to talk about the latter yet. Due to those thoughts it took some time before he managed to speak. " Maybe I thought it was something you needed." Gosh, how he wished he wouldn't have had to lie! Although, there was also a seed of truth behind those words. He bit his lip. " You… You need to start living, okay? Even with your mother and everything. You need to start moving forth."

Sasuke snorted. " Why?" The voice was so filled with bitterness and something close to sadness that he just had to jump backwards a little. " There's nothing to move towards."

His eyes were wide against that brutally honest remark, and for several precious seconds his mouth hung open, devoid of all words. Then – just as the raven turned and started to walk away – his reason flew back. " There could be, you know?" He knew he was taking a risk, but grabbed the boy's stony shoulder anyhow. " I don't care what the heck is going on between us, but… I want to help you, you know?" Because that's what he would do, no matter what Zaku would have to say about it.

For a long time Sasuke looked at him as though he'd gained a third head or something equally unpleasant. Then the boy rolled his eyes and turned around. " You can start with taking that box on your left, dobe. I'm not going to just let you watch while I do all the work."

He hadn't felt that relived in a very long time. A smile appeared while he picked up the box – which was surprisingly heavy – then followed the raven. " Whatever you say, boss-teme."

He couldn't help wondering if he was just pushing Sasuke towards something better or the darkest depths.

* * *

In the meantime Kin watched with curious eyes how Zaku typed on a computer. " You're seriously going through with this, aren't you?" Her voice carried mild astonishment.

" Yup." The boy's eyes flashed. " I've been cooking this up for months. It's finally time to start the real action."

She felt a tiny shiver inside she brushed away quickly. The poster, and now this… " You have some serious grudges, don't you?"

Zaku made a grumpy sound. " That's none of your business." He then lifted a hand, as though a composer preparing for the final note. " Now, off we go."

With just one press of a button he sent five pictures for the entire world to see.

One of Naruto and Sasuke kissing.

One of the two holding hands.

One of the two holding each other – which would've seen perfectly innocent in anywhere but the picture he'd taken.

One of the two sleeping in each other's arms in the school's break room.

And finally one in which it looked deviously lot like the two had been kissing.

Less than two days later those pictures were almost the only thing the school talked about. Naruto and Sasuke had never received the kind of looks they did then.

And that was only just the beginning.

* * *

~ TBC, dattebayo. ~

* * *

A/N: (grits teeth) Oh, the things I'd like to do to Zaku right now… (cracks knuckles) Poor boneheads – they're in for so much mess right now! (winces)

Gah, clock's ticking and I've got a ton to do, so I've gotta get going. Leave a review before you follow me out – pwease…?

'Til next time, folks!

Peace out!

* * *

**colgate**: (chuckles) We'll see, we'll see. I must confess, the temptation is HIGH… (reveals fangs)

Mega sized thank yous for the review! 'Hope you'll be sticking around.


	8. February

A/N: Phew! It's taken me quite long again (winces), but now the new chappy is FINALLY here! HOORAY! (makes backflips)

First things first… Awww – thank you so much for those heart warming reviews you've sent! (HUUUUGS) You can't even imagine the miracles they do to my inspiration, believe it. (grins and nods) THANK YOU!

Oukey doykey, because there's no reason to keep stalling any longer, let's rock, un! I REALLY hope you'll enjoy the ride.

WARNING/SIDE NOTE: I hope my proofreading for this doesn't suck too much despite my busy schedule. (winces)

* * *

CHAPTER 8: February

* * *

/ _During his career as a fire fighter Genma had seen quite a bit of disturbing things. Yet – unlike most of his colleagues – he hadn't managed to harden his heart just yet._

_And so that night, he sighed inwardly when investigating an almost completely burned up building, of which flames had released their hungry hold hours ago. Almost everything had been destroyed – charred remnants of photographs, furniture and once meaningful memories could scarcely be identified._

_It wasn't hard to identify the look on his colleague's – Kotetsu's – face as the man walked closer. " So far we've found two bodies. They're most likely Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, the owners of this house."_

_He nodded, shivering a little and feeling nauseated. " Is there any clue to the cause of the fire?"_

_Kotetsu shook his head. " We're lucky if we'll find anything from these ruins."_

_Just then they exchanged a look when hearing speech. " Genma, Kotetsu, get in here!" Izumo's voice sounded shocked, which was quite rare. " I found something!"_ /

* * *

That day – feeling utterly exhausted after having endured a yet another nightmare filled night – Naruto found the looks and whispers of people even sharper and more painful than before.

It'd been like this since Zaku had posted those pictures. He could hear and distinguish words like 'fag', 'freak' and 'faggot' from the lips of people who didn't even know him, was much too aware of all the disgusted looks darted even to his back, and endured with a brave grit of teeth even the one time when 'fag' had been written to his locker with something that looked like lipstick.

Things… were beginning to feel even worse than in his old life – when he'd been nothing but an invisible ghost, whom no one would've noticed even if he'd screamed at the top of his lungs in the middle of a hallway. And if this was the price of being noticed… Then he wondered if this new life was worth it.

He gasped faintly when someone bumped into him. Looking up, he found a boy he faintly remembered as Kidoumaru glaring down at him. " Stay the fuck out of my way, fag. Or do you want me to push you away?"

" Hey!" Shikamaru's snarl managed to surprise him. Turning his head, he found the brunette stood behind him with somewhat narrowed, flaming eyes. " Do we have a problem?"

Kidoumaru snorted, then muttered something about 'a boyfriend' before disappearing.

Naruto couldn't help but blink when looking towards Shikamaru once more. " Why…?" was all he managed.

The brunette scoffed. " What? You think I'd actually care about what those jackasses say?" The boy shook his head. " Nah, that'd be too troublesome."

He just had to smile a little. Gosh, how he wished he could've been as indifferent and unaffected! " Thanks."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. " Just forget it already – it wasn't all that troublesome." The boy's eyes then strayed to somewhere behind him, and one eyebrow rose. " Uh-huh…"

Turning his head, he found a gasp erupting.

Sasuke was there, making his way through the hallway with his head held high and ignoring all the rather unpleasant attention he was getting. There, decorating the boy's left eye, was the darkest bruise Naruto had ever seen.

He felt cold, to say the very least, and all air seemed to leak out of his lungs. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had it bad…

_What… the hell have I done?_

Finally coming out of his stupor he looked towards Shikamaru. " I've… gotta go."

The brunette nodded, seeming to understand. " I'll see you later."

Not managing to respond he started to walk towards Sasuke, as though pulled by a force of some sort. On his way he wondered what he could possibly say, if there was anything that'd make the situation any less horrible. He couldn't come up with anything.

Sasuke gave him a somewhat sharp look once noticing him. " What?"

He'd never, ever felt as bad as he did just then, unable to look at anything else but the bruise although it was the last thing he wanted to see. He swallowed laboriously. " That… Does it hurt a lot?" He didn't know why he asked, really. He knew it did.

Sasuke gave a 'Hn', focusing on his locker. " Not much anymore, dobe. And I'm sure the other guy's in a much more pain."

That didn't make him feel the slightest bit better.

This… was his fault. Sure, he hadn't put those pictures into the internet, but… " I… I'm so sorry."  
Sasuke looked at him, appearing mildly surprised. " Why?"

He swallowed thickly and shook his head, not finding the words. His hand was just about to reach out – to do what, he didn't know – when whom he guessed was Sasuke's friend appeared. The boy – who had somewhat long grown hair and pale eyes that chilled him for some reason – gave him a look he didn't manage to name before focusing on Sasuke. " 'You coming or what? We're going to be late."

The raven didn't appear overly enthusiastic, to say the least, while closing his locker. " Yeah, let's go." With a one more 'See you later' glance his way the Uchiha left.

Naruto found himself staring at the boy all the way until he'd disappeared, then made a tiny groan and rubbed his face. It wasn't until then he realized that there was a paper slipped into his hand. Curious, he took a look and blinked at what he found.

It was the same competition advertisement he'd been forced to give Sasuke over a month ago. Something, however, had been added to it with the raven's handwriting.

_Consider it your own doing, dobe._

So stunned he became, that he jumped when feeling a hand on his shoulder. " Well here you are!" Looking up, he met Kiba's face. " What's up? You're gonna be late from the class."  
He swallowed thickly, his mind only fixed on one thing. " What are you doing tomorrow?"

The brunette grinned sheepishly. " It's Saturday, so I'd most likely spend most of the day in front of a computer. Why – do you have a hot double date in store or something?"

Blushing involuntarily, he glanced towards the poster. " We've got a skating contest to watch."

* * *

After school, Sakura found her mind spinning in about a thousand places at one go while sitting in a movie theater, waiting for Neji who'd gone to buy some popcorn.

Although it'd been weeks already, she just couldn't erase TenTen's voice from her head.

/ _" Don't tell Neji you saw me here, please. Promise me."_ /

Her eyes narrowed.

She knew it was unfair – especially considering everything TenTen had gone through – but sometimes she almost hated her friend.

She actually jumped when hearing Neji's voice all of a sudden. " Sakura." The boy's eyes were demanding when she finally met them, and she wondered how long he'd been calling out for her. There was a frown on his face. " Where were you?"

She managed to create a tiny, uneasy smile. " 'Sorry, I just…" She fumbled for words. " There's just a lot of stuff on my mind. School stuff."

The boy appeared somewhat irritated, perhaps even worried although he'd never show such an emotion. " Sakura, something's been bugging you for weeks now. What's going on?"

Her heart jumped, understanding that the question was something that'd been inevitably approaching for a long time now. Whatever she'd choose to do might change several lives.

She swallowed somewhat thickly. " Look, Neji…" She hated doing this to TenTen, but she would've hated herself even more if she'd kept her mouth shut. " There's something you should know."

Her heart thumped in her throat while all words disappeared. How the heck had she imagined she'd be able to do this?

In the end she lost even the frailest bits of courage she'd had, and turned her gaze back to the movie screen. " I'll… I'll tell you later, 'k?" She took a breath. " The movie's about to start."

She felt Neji's eyes on her for a moment, but the boy didn't ask.

(They never went back to the subject again, although a part of her wished they would've.)

* * *

The next day was marked as the first time Kimimaro and Gaara met during daytime. To avoid the risk of being seen by Deidara – whom he'd barely met anyway during the past month – Gaara suggested that they should choose the city's library.

They found themselves sauntering between rows of shelves no one was nearby enough to hear.

" About the time I left…" There was a light frown on Kimimaro's face while the boy flipped through a book of world's history. " What happened?"

Gaara found himself growing surprised. It was the first time the white haired made the first move to find out things about his past. He was almost oddly happy with the change. " We… were both in the orphanage." He found it hard to go through those memories. " One night Danzo appeared – he said you had a visitor. I never saw you after that, and Danzo wouldn't tell me what had happened – he only said you left willingly."

Kimimaro looked towards him. " Do you think he was telling the truth?"

He sighed a little, shaking his head with dark eyes. " I… don't know." Honestly, he doubted it. He then focused on his friend once more. " What's the first thing you remember?"

Something that looked like discomfort traveled across the other's face. " I… woke up in a small hospital. There was a doctor – he told me he would take care of me."

He frowned, not liking that answer at all. " Have you spent all this time with him?"

Kimimaro nodded slightly stiffly. " Yes – I owe a lot to him." The boy suddenly shuddered and tensed up when a couple of giggling teenage girls walked past the rows in between they were, then looked towards him with embarrassment. " I'm… still not used to being around people, I suppose."

He came dangerously close to smiling. " It's alright – I'll help you adjust."

The white haired gave him an incredulous look, apparently not all that willing to believe someone would do something like that for him. The boy's lips opened – but once again luck wasn't on their side.

" Ah, so here you are, Kimimaro-kun." The dangerously smooth voice belonged to a man with chilling snake's eyes and long black hair tied to a ponytail. His eyes narrowed for some reason at the approaching stranger. " We're going to be late from… the appointment, remember?"

Kimimaro's expression turned into such that alarmed him. " I'm sorry, Orochimaru-sama." The boy gave him the briefest glance. " I'll… see you later." It was said so quietly that he barely heard, and in a flash the two had disappeared.

He stood there for the longest time, watching the direction towards which his friend had disappeared and feeling ominous chills traveling underneath his skin.

(Although he spent the entire night to come with Deidara, he wasn't able to erase the look on Kimimaro's face from his mind.)

* * *

In the meantime Sasuke felt a once familiar tingle under his skin while he prepared to step onto the ice, in front of what was most likely far too many people. His heart pounded, but he pushed that fact aside vigorously.

" Sasuke." His figure jolted a little, and it wasn't until then he remembered that Itachi was there with him. He refused to hear the worry in his brother's voice. " Are you sure about this?"

He nodded without even thinking. " Yes." He grit his teeth and balled his fist. " I need to do this, Itachi."

He reminded himself not to look to the back rows, where he knew better than well his father to be.

This was the perfect way to exact his revenge, whatever the cost.

Did he just hear his brother sigh? " Good luck, then."

He merely nodded as a response, then entered the rink. When music started he lost himself into the beat.

-

Blinking and gasping for the breath he was holding was everything Naruto could do while watching Sasuke move on the ice, effortlessly as though he'd lived there all his life. Each jump and spin seemed so perfectly controlled and suave that he could barely believe they were real. If the raven's weeks ago broken arm hurt, it didn't show.

He could hear the voices of his friends only distantly. " Hey Shikamaru, did Ino seriously say he quit years ago?" Kiba inquired, his voice filled with disbelief.

" Yeah…"

Naruto lost his focus on them as the dance on the ice went on. By the time the performance neared its end he'd held his breath so long he was feeling dizzy. In the end Sasuke jumped into the air, then landed to his left leg and spun around for about five more seconds before both the raven and music stopped all of a sudden.

Naruto frowned while the rest of the audience showed their appreciation.

What… was that he saw for just a moment? A grimace?

He found himself standing up. " Guys, I'll be back in a sec, okay?" Without further explanations he left, starting to make his way towards where he assumed a backroom to be.

It appeared he never had to go all the way, because he found Sasuke leaning rather heavily against the wall of an empty hallway. " Hey." He went on once the Uchiha met his gaze. " That was pretty good."

The raven's eyebrow bounced up. " You actually watched?"

He grinned rather sheepishly. " Well, it's kinda my fault you had to do this, so…"

The Uchiha gave a 'Hn', then seemed to focus on rubbing his leg with what was close to a scowl. " Whatever."

It wasn't until then he noticed the obvious signs of discomfort; some cold sweat on the raven's forehead, much too pale skin, tight jaw… Sasuke was in pain, or that was what it looked like. The Uchiha seemed nearly dizzy.

He frowned, feeling cold shivers of dread travel up and down his spine. " Hey, what…?"

He never managed to finish, because just then Sasuke's eyes slipped closed and the raven fell straight into his arms.

" Sasuke!" he all but cried out, placing his hand to the boy's cheek as though hoping that the single motion would miraculously snap the other back into awareness. Nothing happened and he swallowed laboriously, finding himself trembling slightly and panic growing. " Hey, Sasuke, c'mon…"

Help. He needed help, right now. He needed to call…

" Damn it." The new male voice he'd never heard before startled him and he turned his head rapidly, careful to keep his hold on Sasuke. He found a slightly older boy who looked so much like the raven that they had to be related. The arrival's eyes moved, as though trying to see something they couldn't. " He passed out, didn't he?"

He found himself nodding, his throat much too tight for words for a while. " Y – Yeah." His voice sounded pathetic, but he didn't manage to care. " Look… Do… Do you have a cell-phone? We… He…"

To his surprise the other shook his head, walking closer with one hand pressed against the wall. " Naruto, Sasuke's fine. Or will be after a while." In some other situation he might've wondered how the boy knew his name. The older raven's eyes, although they seemed unfocused, filled with sadness. " This… happens from time to time."

He frowned, utterly confused. " Why?"

" It hurts him a lot every time he skates – sometimes it's too much." The boy then looked towards him, seeming to dart his gaze based on the sounds he made. " Can you carry him? If I remember correctly there's a backroom nearby."

He nodded, feeling even more confused than before, then moved to follow the older boy who was already walking.

After some moments they indeed found a rather tiny yet comfortable room, which had a bed and a couple of chairs. Finally finding some reason from his chaotic head he walked forth, placing the still unmoving Sasuke gently to the mattress.

" In case you're wondering I'm Itachi, Sasuke's brother." The other made some fumbling touches around him before feeling a chair and sitting slowly. " He's told me about you."

In some other situation he might've been surprised. At the moment, however, his focus was entirely elsewhere. " What did you mean when saying it hurts Sasuke to skate?"

Itachi hesitated for the longest time, most likely not sure if it was his place to share the upcoming piece of information. " I'll… leave it to Sasuke to decide whether he wants to tell you the details. But there was an accident." The boy's eyes darkened. " His leg was broken from three places."

His eyes widened to such extend that he was willing to consider it ridiculous, but he couldn't stop himself. " What?!" He was by no means even close to a doctor's decree, but even he could tell that was _bad_.

Gosh, he could only imagine that even something as simple as walking was probably painful for Sasuke. So… " Why?" It slipped before he could stop it. He looked towards Sasuke, and subconsciously stroked the raven's hair, hoping that Itachi wouldn't notice. " Why does he do this?"

Itachi sighed quietly. " Sasuke… isn't all that good at determining his own good." The teen then got up, seeming to use wall for support or guidance. " Could you… stay with him for a while? I need to talk to father." Something about the older boy's tone told him that wouldn't be a pleasant task.

He nodded, feeling his cheeks heat up a little at how eagerly it came out. " Sure. It's… not like I'd have to hurry anywhere." And in all honesty, he didn't even want to leave before making sure Sasuke was okay – simply because of guilt, he hurried to tell himself.

Itachi nodded somewhat gratefully. " Good. I'll be back soon."

Once he was left alone he looked towards Sasuke, finding himself gulping while his eyes strayed to travel through the boy's face and the lines of a body he could make out through clothing. His fingers tingled, and he had to grab them to keep himself from using them.

_What the hell am I doing?_

* * *

For some reason Itachi found it almost hard to breathe while walking slowly through the hallways of the huge building, realizing quite soon that he was lost although he'd been there for dozens of times. His head was starting to hurt, and his stomach also didn't feel right.

Since the confrontation with Hinata's father Fugaku had… changed. Apparently the man had understood that there was a real chance of him losing his sons, because the man didn't dare to hurt Sasuke quite the way he had before anymore – the man wouldn't touch him, apparently not wanting to harm 'a cripple', as he'd been labelled one drunken night. But the man had found a brand new way to harm his brother – such that sickened Itachi, such that made Sasuke all but howl in the grips of nightmares for several nights to come.

Itachi didn't even dare to think what the punishment for this rebellious skating session would turn out to be.

" Itachi?" Hinata's voice managed to catch him off guard. He heard approaching steps. " What happened? Is Sasuke alright?"

He opened his mouth, eventually realizing that he didn't have it in him to form actual words.

Fortunately Hinata seemed to understand. He was almost sure he sensed a nod. " It's alright." He shivered when feeling a pair of tentative arms around him, but soon relaxed. " It's alright", she then said again. It was obvious she tried to add something quite futilely, and maybe it was better that she wasn't able to.

He knew he was making a potentially disastrous mistake, but he had a feeling it might've been an even bigger one to push away this comfort he so obviously needed.

Sighing so that even Hinata couldn't hear it, he allowed the girl to hold him and returned the gesture while placing his chin to the girl's shoulder, wondering what kind of a storm there was awaiting.

* * *

As he watched still sleeping Yuugao, eventually moving his gaze to her slightly swollen bump, Hayate couldn't help wondering why he'd been so scared of the idea of _this_ before. Because at the moment, he was feeling calmer and happier than ever in his life.

Carefully, he leant down and placed a chaste kiss to the bare skin of her stomach area. He was almost sure he sensed movement. " I hope you'll grow up fast", he murmured, then coughed softly. " I can't wait to get to see you."  
Yuugao's chuckle startled him so that he coughed twice more. " Well how about that." She stroked his hair gently. " I knew you'd grow to love the idea."

He was fairly sure he blushed while lifting his gaze to meet her warm eyes, coughing once. " I… thought you were asleep."

She snorted. " It's hard to sleep with someone kissing and talking to your stomach." She then crawled out of the bed, kissing him gently as soon as she was in a sitting position. " Now… As much as I love this, I've gotta go the bathroom. I'll come back soon."

He nodded, for some reason reluctant to let her leave.

So drowsy he still was, that he almost fell back asleep until hearing something close to a scream. His heart starting to hammer madly with panic he bounced up and rushed to the bathroom, couching all the way. His chest made uncomfortable movements when he found Yuugao stood nearby the toilet, her face abnormally pale and her whole being shivering like a leaf. He frowned, coughing sharply. " What's wrong?"

He'd never met such terror he did when she finally met his eyes. " There… There was some bleeding." Her voice was barely audible. " I… I don't know…" She trailed off.

He'd never been one to get scared easily. That's why the full force of the emotions twirling inside him almost startled him. He, however, forced his face into remaining calm – for the sake of Yuugao, and their child. " It's… It's going to be alright." He coughed while wrapping a gentle arm around her, realizing that he was shivering just as badly as she. " Let's go and call the doctor, 'k? Maybe it's nothing."

He'd never been a religious man. But as he dialed numbers some seconds later, he prayed every single deity he could think of from the bottom of his heart.

* * *

Waiting for Sasuke to wake up felt excruciating for Naruto, and minutes seemed to drag by while he sat on the raven's bedside, his eyes barely moving from the pale, relaxed face.

He'd never felt as torn and confused in his entire life. Usually he might've called either Hayate or Gaara, but somehow he had a feeling that he'd have to take care of this one alone.

Just then he shuddered faintly when seeing Sasuke's eyelashes flutter barely traceably. Was he imagining things, or…? " S – Sasuke?" he called out in a nearly tentative voice.

At first nothing happened. Then – as though in a slowed motion – Sasuke's eyes cracked halfway open. The raven frowned at him. " Naruto…? What the…?" The voice faded out.

He swallowed thickly, not even knowing where to start. " Sasuke, I… I'm sorry."

In a flash the Uchiha's eyes burned, most likely with understanding. The boy's gaze was almost venomous when meeting his. " Itachi… told you, didn't he?"

The tone might've startled a weaker soul, but he merely nodded. " Some of it. He didn't go to the details, though."

Sasuke's eyes darkened and hardened when he turned them away. " You think I'm totally pathetic, don't you?" Those eyes, filled with hurt, narrowed. " Just go. I don't want your pity."

He blinked with utter surprise.

Pity? Did Sasuke honestly think that was the only reason he…?

" Sasuke, listen to me", he all but snarled, taking the boy's warm face firmly between his hands. " I don't pity you, got it? So stop putting words into my mouth. I just care about you, that's all." _I care about you a lot._

Finally Sasuke's eyes rose, locked to his and searched through them for several moments. In the end something close to surprise rose to the boy's face. " You're… not lying."

He smiled faintly. " That's right." And he knew there was a way to prove his words – a dangerous way, though.

He knew he was doing something that could easily turn out to be a horrible mistake, but at the moment no power in the world could've held him back.

Sasuke shuddered rather violently when his lips met the raven's, but in the end the boy leaned slightly closer, most likely too tired to play stupid games. Seeing that his chance had arrived he let his tongue roam its way into the other's mouth, and after a moment proclaimed the raven's lips his with a couple of tiny, yet possessive nibbles. They didn't break apart until after several moments, both panting.

He couldn't help grinning at the other's expression. " It wasn't that bad, now was it?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and if it'd been anyone else before him he would've said the boy blushed. " Idiot."

He ruffled the Uchiha's hair, liking the feeling of them. " Oh shut it, bastard. You're ruining the moment here."

Sasuke licked his lips as a response. " Hmph."

It would've been tempting to stay there forever, to savour the moment. But for some reason he felt that he should leave, before something would change irreversibly.

He got up, finding his legs surprisingly shaky. " I… should go. I mean, now that you're back in the land of the living…"

To his surprise Sasuke grabbed his wrist with a stern expression. " The hell I'm letting you leave just like that", the Uchiha all but growled.

And before he could do a thing to stop it, Naruto found himself yelping just a little with surprise when Sasuke pulled him closer and their lips met again, but soon enough he got lost into the sensations that filled him. His head buzzed when the other's muscles relaxed under his touch and their breaths mingled together while tongues started a furious battle over dominance.

It wasn't until then he realized just how risky and serious this stupid game was becoming.

_What the heck have I gotten myself into?_

He never noticed how his fingers tangled with Sasuke's, determined to hold on.

So focused on their activities they were, that they barely managed to break apart in time before the door was opened and a man he immediately realized was Sasuke's father barged in. He could feel the younger raven stiffen at the man's stormy expression. Hazardous eyes found his. " You, _out_. This is a family matter."

He frowned and opened his mouth for a protest until hearing Sasuke's voice. " Just leave, okay?" The onyx eyes boring into his were demanding. " This is none of your business, and I'm not about to let it become such."

Leaving was the last thing he would've wanted to do, but somehow he had a feeling that he didn't have any other choice just yet. Slowly and uncertainly he got up and walked, then – already one step out of the doorway – turned towards the young raven for one more time. " I'll… see you soon, okay?" Because they really, _really_ needed to talk – long and hard – no matter how much Sasuke might try and fight it.

The raven nodded stiffly.

With that the door was all but slammed at his face by Sasuke's father, and he felt as though he'd been closed out of the Uchiha's life.

Coldness filled his whole being once more.

* * *

After what felt like an hour later Naruto finally found his way out of the building – only to become stopped by Zaku's voice nearby the entrance. " That was one heck of a show, wasn't it?"

His eyes narrowed and flamed while turning towards the brunette. " You…", he snarled through gritted teeth. " You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? You knew how much skating would hurt him."

Zaku snorted. " Of course I did – I was there watching when his leg got smashed."  
At that moment he couldn't hold himself back for another second. Before Zaku could make a move he'd charged at the boy and punched him, with all the force there was in his being. The brunette staggered backwards. His skin and blood seethed, as though some dark force inside had taken over. " You piece of shit!" he roared.

He didn't regain his senses until seeing the look on Zaku's face. " That was a very, very stupid move." The boy's eyes flashed. " You should take my warnings seriously, _Uzumaki_." The eyes burning into his were dangerous. " The last of May I'll tell him – and everyone else – absolutely everything. Then, you can consider your stupid little game finished."

He fumed inside when watching the boy walk away. " I hate you", he hissed through gritted teeth.

There was a chuckle. " And you think I care? Besides… I warned you about getting too comfortable, didn't I?" The boy didn't turn. " You made your decision. Now, there's no other choice but to hold on and enjoy the ride."

He could only stand there, paralyzed by rage, horror and about a dozen of other emotions. He'd never felt that sick in his entire life.

* * *

TBC, doesn't it?

* * *

A/N: (seethes) Okay, now I REALLY want to kill Zaku. (attacks the brunette, with everyone cheering instead of trying to stop) Poor Sasuke and Naru-kun – and Yuugao and Hayate, too! (sniffs)

I REALLY have to go now – I should be doing schoolwork at the moment. (grins sheepishly) **PLEASE**, do leave a review before you go, too! (gives puppy dog eyes)

'Til next time – 'hope you'll stick around until then, un!

Be good!


	9. March

A/N: (winces) Oh dear, you guys are so gonna have my head for this wait, ne? (winces again) I'm so sorry – I've had my head in about a million things lately! (sighs) But, the good news is, the new chappy is finally here. (grins)

But first, of course, thank you so much for those wonderful reviews! (hugs) It means more than you could ever imagine knowing there are people waiting for me to update, ya know? So THANK YOU. **Responses to anonymous reviews** can, as usual, be found from underneath the chappy, dattebayo.

WARNING: I'm so sorry about all the potential typos! I'm trying to update as much as I can, so my proofreading suffers a little. (winces)

Awkay, because the wait's already been way too long, let's get to the business, shall we? (grins) I truly hope you'll enjoy this one.

* * *

CHAPTER 9: March

* * *

/ _When Sasuke was no older than five, his father was forced to take him to a __kindergarten__ because Itachi was sick and their mother had to take care of him._

_Despite the nearly crushing hold the man had on his wrist, he managed to stop when seeing something that caught his attention._

_Only steps away was the cutest child he'd ever met – a boy of his age who's hair sparkled almost as radiantly as the sun and who's shining blue eyes looked at him with curiosity from behind thick glasses._ (1)

" _Sasuke." His father's pull was almost enough to make him fall down. " Stop wasting my time and walk. I'm not going to carry you."_

_Maybe the fact that he dropped a necklace his mother had given him was an honest accident, maybe it was fate – one can never really tell with these things. But surely enough Naruto noticed the flash of blue, and as soon as the Uchihas were out of sight he dared to creep forward and pick the piece of jewellery gently to his palm._ (2)

_And as simply as that, a connection between two souls in search for something better had been made._ /

* * *

Sasuke's eyes opened – it was amusing how something as simple as that managed to surprise him. Even with all the nightmares he'd just had, despite the way his newest bruises hurt, his eyes were open to the world around him.

He sighed a little.

He'd have to move. And that was something he did not look forward to.

He winced while getting up, annoying ache going all the way through him like a lightning. And very slowly he started to remember.

The social workers had appeared the day before, and his father had started out such a show that it'd taken his all not to gag. There was no reek of alcohol, no visible bruises for the observant eyes to see. And when he was seen limping slightly his father's face remained perfectly even when the man told a fairytale about a skating accident.

When the social workers finally left – stating that they'd be coming back so he couldn't hear it – Sasuke bolted into a bathroom and threw up hard, trembling and feeling sicker than ever in his life. Hard as he tried, he couldn't remember how he'd managed to get into his own room. And in all honesty he didn't really care, either.

Groaning loudly and wincing with pain that was even harsher than he'd expected he crawled out of the bed, then forced himself into putting on his clothes (how had they gotten as dirty as they were?) and leaving the room that was starting to smell stuffy.

While tiptoeing through the hallway he came to peer towards Itachi's room, the door of which was slightly open. He knew it was selfish, but he felt a tiny bit of jealousy when seeing his brother sleeping quite comfortably in Hinata's arms. He was also worried – he didn't want to even think what'd happen when their father would find out about this.

Careful not to make a sound he closed the door fully, then made his way towards the living room. It took a lot of him to hold back a sigh of relief when he noticed that Fugaku still lay passed out on the couch, exactly where he last remembered seeing the man. Apparently there'd be no immediate threat – he'd get to breathe free air for at least a little while.

Although it was almost insanely cold outside he didn't remember to take his jacket along when he left the house, closing the door as quietly as he could in his current condition. For a couple of moments he leaned against the door, wondering what the hell he should do next, until he managed to snatch out a cell phone with a slightly trembling hand – only to discover that he wasn't able to dial numbers. Instead he started moving, furious and embarrassed with himself.

At the moment there was only one person who's face came to his mind.

* * *

" Yuugao."

She frowned, not wanting to open her eyes. She'd just had the most amazing dream of holding her newborn baby girl. How could someone disturb her?

" … 'ave me alone."

The touch caressing her cheek was such that she didn't manage to feel angry or disappointed anymore. She sighed, leaning closer to the touch. " Yuugao, it's time to wake up." Now, she began to recognize that male voice. " The surgery went well, just so you know. You're fine…" A gentle hand brushed her stomach, which felt oddly sore. " … and so is Ladybird."

Very slowly her eyelids inched halfway open to meet a still rather blurry image of her fiancé's face. She just had to smile, although she was still very drowsy. " 'ybird?"

Hayate smiled somewhat sheepishly, then coughed. " Every child needs a nickname, right?" Very slowly, almost hesitantly, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. " Now go to sleep." He coughed twice. " The doctor's going to have my head if I keep you awake any longer."

She obeyed, too tired for worrying or resisting. " Hmmh."

Everything was all right. Things were going to work out.

It was very good to fall asleep on that thought.

-

As soon as Yuugao was definitely asleep Hayate sighed heavily and coughed thrice.

She wasn't out of the woods yet – that was what the doctor had said, albeit unwillingly. Both she and the baby were doing fine now. The surgery had taken care of several huge problems the fancy names of which he couldn't even remember anymore. But it'd take a long time before it could be said for sure what'd happen to his family, to the two people who meant _everything_ to him.

It was unbelievably frustrating for him – who'd been one to fix things for all his life – to not be able to do anything but sit around and wait when something meant this much to him.

* * *

In the meantime Naruto was sitting in a park in downtown, feeling more exhausted than ever in his life.

For the past weeks he'd been zooming between Hayate and Yuugao – the man was as close as a father to him, and the whole situation was driving him insane – and Sasuke – who's sanity seemed to be hanging by a thin thread with everything there was going on. And acting as a fulltime therapist was becoming overwhelming, especially when he added all that to schoolwork.

He actually jumped on his seat when a takeaway mug of coffee was suddenly held before his eyes. " I figured you could use this", Sakura announced, slumping to the seat beside him. With just one glance he could tell she wasn't feeling any better than he was. " I'm getting pretty good at recognizing a sleep deprived person."

He sighed gratefully, taking a long sip. " Thanks." After some more gulps and discovering that the mug was already halfway empty he glanced towards the pinkette. " So you still haven't told Neji about TenTen, have you?"

She snorted. " Just about as much as you've told Sasuke about your past."

He winced, taking down the rest of his drink with almost one sip. " It's much easier to just say it, huh?" He sighed while throwing the empty mug into a dumpster. " We really _should_ do something, though. Amounts of coffee and sleep like this can't be healthy."

She sighed heavily. " We're cowards, aren't we?"

His eyes stung as he looked towards the sky, and somehow he had a feeling the discomfort had nothing to do with the sun. " Hn."

Sakura's slightly weary chuckle surprised him enough to make him look at her. She shook her head. " You've spent too much time with Sasuke."

A radiant blush rose to his cheeks, and if it'd been a boy sitting next to him he might've swatted the pinkette's head. " Oh, shut it."

Sakura merely chuckled, and he was pleased to discover she was feeling at least slightly better.

Just then his eyes spotted something that made them widen, and his chest contorted painfully. He had no idea how Sasuke had managed to find them, but sure enough it was the raven approaching them slightly unsteadily, with a set of brand new bruises all over his face. Once seeing them the boy froze, clearly not about to make another move.

" Go", Sakura urged before he could even look at her, pushing him harshly. " It's kinda obvious that he needs you way more than I do."

He barely managed to utter a word to her before obeying far more enthusiastically than he'd expected.

As he came closer and closer the extend of Sasuke's injuries became all the more apparent. He just couldn't keep his eyes from widening, no matter how hard he tried, nor could he suppress a gasp. " Holy… shit!"

Sasuke's onyx eyes immediately flashed hazardously, and the boy took a step backwards, fists balling. " If all you can give me is pity, then I'm getting away from here."

He blinked, surprised by such a violent reaction. " Hey!" he all but breathed out, placing a hand to the raven's cheek without thinking. In some other situation he might've been surprised by the fact that the boy only shivered, didn't flinch away. " Don't go, okay? Don't you dare walk away like this."

He could see how the Uchiha took a deep breath before visibly steeling himself and looking at him in the eyes. The boy's fists loosened. " Then what?" It was almost scary how tired and defeated the raven's voice was.

Despite the far from happy feeling swelling he managed to grin. " There's a place I have in mind."

* * *

About half an hour after her chat with Naruto, the blonde's words pounded Sakura's head almost unbearably while she waited by a huge mall, her head almost too busy for even her to keep up with it.

Today marked the twentieth official date Neji and she had, and she knew it would've also been the perfect opportunity to finally tell the boy _everything_. But… She'd hidden so much. How could she ever make Neji understand if even she didn't?

Just then her green eyes spotted something that made her eyes grow wide with a mixture of near terror and disbelief. It seemed TenTen was leaving a motel on the other side of the street, accompanied that raven haired boy she'd seen in the hospital.

She was moving in an instant, although a huge part of her tried to fight against it. " Ten?" She swallowed while crossing the road so fast that three cars almost hit her. " What… are you still doing here?"

Finally seeing her, the brunette seemed mildly startled for just a moment before looking at the boy. " Haku, you can wait in the taxi. I'll be there in a second." As soon as they were alone her best friend looked at her once more with a stern expression. " Sakura, I'm leaving Konoha for good today – all paperwork's been done, and my whole life's been moved elsewhere. If I've got any luck you'll never see me again, at least here."

She frowned, shivering a little, and looked at the girl's stomach. " What about…?"

" It's been taken care of, just as I planned." There was a sound of irritation coming from the taxi, and TenTen gave her a hug that almost left her breathless. " Thank you so much, for everything – I know it's not easy to hide stuff like this." The brunette started to leave, waving goodbye. " I'll call you as soon as I can, okay?"

She could barely react from the searing sensation in her eyes. All she could do was stand and watch how her best friend disappeared from her sight, leaving her feel numb and cold.

It must've been several seconds later when she snapped back into awareness once a very familiar hand was laid to her shoulder. When peering backwards with some startle she met Neji's frown. " Is something wrong?"

She forced on a tiny smile despite the way her heart thumped as though about to give in. " I… Nah, it's nothing – I just didn't sleep well and I've been feeling dippy all day." She took his hand, hoping dearly hers didn't tremble. " Now let's get going or we'll be late for the movies." Movies were their joined passion – if there was anything that could ease her mind it was this.

TenTen was leaving Konoha for good, and there was nothing to worry about. So what reason did she have to be upset, really?

-

Neji frowned with well-justified confusion, but in the end followed Sakura.

The pinkette had never been the easiest person to keep a track on. She'd talk when she was ready – or so he hoped.

-

In a taxi speeding away TenTen's eyes flashed with moisture while turning away from the couple and fixing firmly on the seat before her.

She shivered with pleasure when feeling a hand in hers, and leaned eagerly against her companion's warmth. " Are you alright?" Haku's familiar, sympathy filled voice inquired.

She nodded and closed her eyes, about a ton of thoughts zooming inside her skull. " I really hope I will be", she murmured.

What other choice did she have, really?

* * *

It took longer than Naruto had remembered, but eventually Sasuke and he had made their way to the cliff from which he'd seen the raven jump months earlier into hungry, awaiting depths. He wasn't surprised to discover that the water far below hadn't frozen over – the current was so hard that no ice would've managed to hold still.

Suddenly, as he looked into the murky, undoubtedly freezing waters, he wondered if he was completely out of his mind.

Sasuke's eyebrow rose with a clearly apparent disbelief. " _This_ is what you had in mind?"

He nodded quite enthusiastically, his heart beating just a little bit to fast. " Yup." He went on once seeing the raven was far from convinced. " I remember you love coming here, so I figured I should try this one out too."

Sasuke looked at him somewhat dryly. " Naruto, in case you haven't noticed it's March and freakishly cold out here. Do you honestly think it's a smart idea to go swimming?"

He scoffed. " No. But since when have you based your decisions on what's smart?" He grinned cheekily. " Or is the mighty teme too much of a chicken?"

Sasuke's eyes flashed. " I'll show you a chicken, deadlast."

Careful to hide it from Sasuke he grinned victoriously, although his heart was beating with something close to terror.

Putting absolutely all their trust on each other, defying all rationality, they joined hands and closed their eyes. " Three…", Naruto started, his voice shivering from cold and something else he could name.

The way Sasuke's hold on his hand tightened just a little made him feel warm. " Two", the raven breathed out after a long pause.

" One", they stated almost simultaneously.

And then, as though all reason had fled their heads, they took deep breaths and jumped into the icy unknown.

When Naruto lost his breath while hitting the water, he wasn't able to keep himself from thinking that it was something he'd felt a lot since Sasuke had walked into his life.

* * *

Gaara had never been an overly patient person. That's why it was almost excruciating for him to spend time with Kimimaro, who didn't seem to be getting any of his – _their_ – memories back although he tried every single trick he could think of.

But he would've been lying if he'd claimed those hard moments with the white haired weren't worth the ache they caused. Kimimaro had always been one of the few people who's company he enjoyed, and despite the lack of memories they had a good time whenever they met although they rarely did anything much.

Evening had already fallen when they stopped in front of the house in which Kimimaro lived, having spent the day walking around and feeding birds, just like they'd done often when they'd been just children.

At that moment, with them stood so very close by, something Gaara could only call a moment of insanity crossed him. Before he could stop or even control himself his hand had reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Kimimaro's face and then all but caressing the boy's cheek. Had he possessed the slightest bit less self control he would've blushed. " I just…" He cleared his throat, because it felt like something had gotten stuck there. " Thank you, for today."

Kimimaro blinked at him, appearing somewhat dazed. " Yeah…", the boy murmured. " Thank you."

For just a moment they leaned closer to each other – as though preparing for something dangerous and forbidden. Then, so suddenly it made him blink, Kimimaro hit the brakes and spun around. " See you soon, Gaara-kun."

He wasn't sure which made his head spun more – that he already knew it'd take at least a week before they'd see each other again, or the nickname he hadn't heard since childhood.

He groaned, rubbing his temple.

Things were getting much too confusing. He needed a long walk.

-

As soon as he got into the apartment he shared with Orochimaru Kimimaro leaned his back heavily against the wall, giving and taking wheezing breaths with both hands brought to cover his head against the merciless pain that'd appeared. Those memories that'd appeared only minutes ago… They hurt so much…

/ _" Promise me you'll never leave me."_ /

/ _" Don't you understand, silly? You're my only friend."_ /

/ _" Why did you kiss me?"_ /

" Ah, so you're back already." Understanding flashed by Orochimaru's face when the man saw his expression of utter agony. " It's the memories, no?"

He all but cried out, and wondered if the heat on his cheeks was tears, fever or both. He didn't sense the trail of blood that ran from his nose. " H – Help… Please…"

Surprisingly gently the man helped him up. " Let's get you to bed, then. You obviously need another injection."

* * *

It wasn't much of a surprise that Naruto and Sasuke still felt hellishly cold when they stumbled into the blonde's room in the orphanage. The blond was far above relieved when discovering that Gaara was still out on one of his journeys – otherwise he would've had hard time explaining all this to his best friend.

" I… I'm getting us towels, okay? And some dry clothes – though you're so skinny that mine will probably look ridiculous on you."

" Hn."

Sensing that something was missing from the sound, he frowned and turned his gaze towards Sasuke. He winced inwardly at how strikingly dark the bruises seemed now that the boy's skin was several shades paler than usual.

The Uchiha, of course, sensed his gaze, and gave him a somewhat dark look. " You're staring – again."

He sighed heavily, feeling tired all of a sudden, and took a seat beside the boy. " Sorry. I just… I don't like seeing you like this, okay?" He ran a hand down the raven's cool arm, liking the shiver he got as a response. " 'Suke…", he murmured, letting the new nickname roll by his tongue and tickle his mouth. " I… I probably don't know even a tenth of what's going on, but I'd want to. I want to be a part of your life, and I can't be such if you keep pushing me away."

He fully expected Sasuke to lash out, to yell and fight back. That's why he could barely keep himself from gasping with surprise when the raven relaxed under his touch and turned his face away, with that simple gesture showing him so much trust it truly scared him.

And then, after some moments of confused silence, he felt a shudder – barely traceable, but still enough to catch his attention.

A frown appeared to his face. " Sasuke?" The raven was all right, right? He wasn't…

It took a moment before there was a response of any sort. " Shut up, dobe." It was more of a plea than anything else, said in a voice he didn't really recognize.

He nodded and obeyed, figuring that silence was the least he could grant the Uchiha.

He had no idea how long they remained that way – neither really knowing how to move on from the point in which they were stuck – until he spoke. " You… can stay here for tonight", he promised somewhat hoarsely, those words making his throat tingle. " I'm not letting you go back to that freak anymore."

To his – their both – immense surprise Sasuke actually snuggled close, careful to keep his face hidden from his prying eyes. " Idiot." It was supposed to be an insult, he figured, but it sounded much more like a breath of gratitude.

A tiny smile rose to his face as he gathered the broken being against him, determined not to let a single piece go missing.

As he held Sasuke who was apparently too tired to resist, resting his chin to the raven's head, he realized something with such certainty that it terrified him.

The stakes had just gotten much, much higher, because it wasn't only his future and new life at stake.

His eyes narrowed.

It was time to _move_, fast. He'd find a way to make Zaku pay.

Neither of them felt cold anymore. That night they both finally got a decent night's sleep.

* * *

When Sasuke all but stumbled into the school the next day the first thing he saw was Zaku. It was obvious the brunette had been waiting for him. Almost instinctively his eyes narrowed. " Now what?" He'd expected going to the same school with the boy would be hellish, but something like this he'd never anticipated.

Zaku's expression didn't weaver much – the only change he caught was a flash of eyes. " Say, Uchiha… How well do you know that new playmate of yours?"

His eyes flashed and his fists balled, ready to be used. " What happened between us a million years ago has nothing to do with Naruto", he snarled viciously. " So leave him the fuck out of this?"

The brunette shrugged. " Why? It's not like he would've left you out, either." After musing for a while the boy pulled out a newspaper article. " Oh yeah, before I forget… You should read this – you may find it interesting."

His eyebrows furrowed while he snatched the piece of paper from the brunette's hold – already musing if he was making a mistake – then started to read some lines.

' _A young couple was found burned to death in their apartment early yesterday morning. The fire is said to be the worst in Konoha's history._

_The couple had one young child, but so far officials are quiet about his connection to the fire. He's been sent for a psychiatric __evaluation__…_'

There'd been a picture beside the article that'd been cut off.

His eyebrows were knitted tightly together while he met Zaku's dangerous eyes. " What the hell is this about?" Although he had a nagging feeling he knew already.

The brunette shrugged. " Consider it a fair warning." The boy then stepped so close that he could feel the other's breath, and he had to restrain himself not to result to violence. " See you around, Uchiha." So saying Zaku walked away, leaving him seething alone in his confusion.

" Sasuke?" Naruto's voice nearly startled him. There was a look of uncertainty and worry on the blonde's face. " What's going on?"

For the about umpteenth time that morning his eyes flashed while he threw the article into the nearest trashcan. " Let's just go before we'll be late for the class."

Naruto nodded, clearly wanting to ask but not daring to, and followed as he went.

* * *

TBC?

* * *

1) In the beginning of this ficcy Naruto had glasses, remember? (grins)

2) I'm thinking about the same kind of a necklace Tsunade gave Naruto in the manga/anime.

* * *

A/N: So Naruto's finally about to do something about this hellish situation – HOORAY! (pumps fist into air)

So, what do you guys say – **does this story still deserve a chance to go on**? Or should I swing an axe? It's your call, un. (nod, nod)

**Please**, do leave a note before you go!  
Heh, because there's a fire under my tail again, I've gotta go.

Adios for now, folks!

Be good!

* * *

**SammerX3**: Awww! You really liked the story thus far THAT much?! (beams like a sunshine) Thank you so much!

(chuckles) Never mind the typos, hun. If I'd get a coin every time I misspell a name… (sighs dreamily)

Colossal thank yous for the review! I truly hope you'll like the rest as well.


	10. April

A/N: Awww, MAN has it been a while! (winces) I'm so, so sorry for this awfully long wait! My mind's been in about a million places and I've had serious inspiration issues, but at least NOW there'll FINALLY be a new chappy! (cheers loudly)

First off, ENORMOUS thank yous for those unbelievable reviews you guys hve left! (huggles) You're the ones who made me come back from the break, ya know? So THANK YOU! **Responses to anonymous reviews **can, as usual, be found from underneath the chappy. (grins)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting wayyyyy longer than enough, let's get on with it, ne? (gulps nervously) I REALLY hope this chappy turns out worth the looooong wait.

* * *

CHAPTER 10: April

* * *

The spring had advanced shockingly quickly, and soon came the last days when it was possible to skate on the nature's own ice. That's why Naruto asked Sakura, Neji, Shikamaru, Shino and Kiba to come with him to a lake on the edge of Konoha, and even managed to persuade and half-threaten Sasuke to come along as well.

Evening had fallen long since as they all sat by a fireplace that crackled joyfully. Kiba whistled while looking at the fairytale land type of a landscape around them. " This place is amazing, you know?" The brunette shook his head. " I can't believe you found this, man! I mean, I've lived in Konoha almost all my life and even I didn't know about this."

Naruto felt a stab of guilt at those words, once more remembering what he was trying to hide, but despite that managed to grin palely. " Heh, I guess I was in a luck." He chose to ignore the warning, nearly accusing look Sakura darted his way. The day was way too good to be spoiled with dwelling in troubling matters.

After a couple of moments' hesitation everything returned to normal as though someone had moved a magic wand. Kiba barfed, dropped something or did something equally unintelligent, and pretty much everyone – including Akamaru, it seemed – started laughing.

Naruto didn't know how long they'd already spent outside when he suddenly realized that although the proud Uchiha wouldn't admit a thing, Sasuke was shivering quite badly.

He rolled his eyes, feeling a hint of something he didn't identify. " And you call me an idiot", he muttered, so that only the raven heard. He examined the other with his gaze for a moment. " Why didn't you tell me you're cold?"

Sasuke looked away, appearing irritated and humiliated. " Hn."

At that moment he got an idea.

The knowledge of the others looking didn't matter, nor did the fact that they were both still very unsure as to what they should do with each other.

Feeling no fear or hesitation, Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, and grinned even more brightly than the flames they were looking at when the raven didn't fight him.

For the upcoming few hours everything was good in the world.

* * *

During his brief life, Sasuke had been forced to learn the fine art of reading his father's moods before he even entered their house. And that evening – as he saw how ominously dark the house was, already sensed the reek of alcohol although it shouldn't have been humanly possible – he froze five steps from the doorway, not sure if he'd ever have what it'd take to enter.

He'd already been through this so many times. Would he really…?

Just then his brother's voice – booming from inside the house – pulled him back into reality, made him _run_. " Leave Hinata alone!" Gosh, he'd never heard Itachi scream like that…! " Don't you dare touch her!"

By then he was already stood by the kitchen's doorway, and felt his heart miss a couple of beats at what he found. For right before his eyes, his father had grabbed obviously petrified Hinata by the collar, and seemed to be prepared for slamming his fist right at her face.

And he realized that whatever it'd take, he could _not_ let the man do this to her.

" Father, stop it." His voice was more of a hiss than anything else. The man's eyes were filled with fury that chilled him down to the core when they clashed with his. " She hasn't done anything to you."

For exactly two seconds his father stood absolutely still, most likely paralyzed by rage. Then – so fast that he couldn't do a thing to dodge – the man was attacking him.

He didn't know how many punches later he hit something that shattered under his weight, and he soon realized it to be the cabin where they held some precious memories. In an instant – as glass ripped wounds and he slid to the floor – he understood it was a miracle he hadn't blacked out.

He really wished he had. Because despite Itachi's screams and attempts to stop the man, their father wasn't done.

-

Sakura was just walking towards the house – having remembered that there were some books she was supposed to give Sasuke – before she froze when hearing the noise inside.

_Shit…_

Soon enough she'd grabbed her cell-phone and was dialing numbers.

-

To Sasuke everything progressed in a fog from thereon.

His father didn't attack him anymore, because the man was handcuffed and dragged away all of a sudden. There was a lot of screaming, and foreign hands he immediately brushed away roughly tried to reach out for him. At some point someone even tried to hold him, but he responded with pushing the person away and getting away from all the people who felt threatening to him as fast as possible.

All his chaotic mind could focus on was one thought.

The hell he'd been living in… It was over. It was finally over. His father was finally gone from his life.

He was almost sure he threw up at some point.

* * *

In the meantime Naruto and Gaara were walking around. The blond had visited Yuugao – who was still in the hospital because of pregnancy problems – and the redhead had decided to go along to get his thoughts off of Kimimaro for at least a second.

Unfortunately, however, the distraction didn't seem to be working well. For no matter how hard he tried to focus on Naruto – who was telling him excitedly about the ultrasound pictures of Yuugao and Hayate's baby he'd just seen – Gaara's thoughts kept slipping.

Lately, he'd been having far too many sick nightmares for it to be a coincidence. He couldn't help wondering what those dreams meant. And once again thoughts of Kimimaro came flying back.

" You're thinking about Kimimaro, aren't you?" Naruto's voice attacked him so suddenly that it almost startled him.

At first he thought about lying, but when he met those blue eyes… He sighed inwardly and looked away. " I… haven't gotten a hold of him for days now. I'm worried", he confessed, although it took all his pride.

Naruto grinned a bit, placing a hand to his shoulder. " Meh, don't worry. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

He could tell his eyes darkened while he fell back into his thoughts. " Yeah…"

Just then something that felt almost like a stab attacked his chest, and he frowned.

That sensation… He just couldn't ignore it. Something was wrong.

" Naruto… You go to the orphanage", he all but muttered, deep in thought. " I'll follow you in a bit."

The blond frowned, obviously not trusting his words. " You won't do anything stupid, right?"

He shook his head, trying his hardest to smile a bit although it didn't come out naturally. " No, I'm just taking a walk, that's all. I'll see you in a bit."

Naruto nodded slowly, still not seeming all that trusting. " Just… Be careful, okay?"

All he could do was nod back.

As soon as his friend had disappeared he started to move.

He'd been waiting long enough. It was time to do _something_.

* * *

When approaching the orphanage about an hour later, Naruto stiffened when finding none other than Zaku waiting for him. His eyes narrowed. " What the hell are you doing here?"

Zaku's eyes were dangerous when turning towards him. " I came because it looks like you need another warning, freak." Just then his cell phone started bleeping, and a knowing look rose to the brunette's face. " Go ahead and pick up – don't let me disturb your… social life."

Although talking to Sasuke in front of Zaku was the last thing he wanted to do he picked up. " Look, Sasuke…"

" _No, it's… __It's__ me._" Sakura's voice… It sounded so panicked that chills ran down his spine. " _It's… I was just bringing some books to Sasuke, and the police was here._"

He felt unimaginably cold, and if it wasn't for Zaku looking at him he would've definitely gasped for breath. He licked his lips, wondering why they felt so dry. " He's okay, right?"

Sakura kept her quiet for so long that it made his stomach twist into tight knots. " _Just come here, okay?_"

He nodded without any hesitation, although Sakura couldn't see it, no words managing their way through his throat. He hung up without even noticing it.

He didn't know how long he'd remained there, trembling pitiably, until a voice he wouldn't have wanted to hear snatched him back to reality. " I can see you haven't cut your ties as we agreed yet." Damn it, he'd almost managed to forget Zaku's presence. The brunette's eyes smouldered. " Go to him, and you lose everything, understood?" The boy folded his arms. " You wouldn't want to jeopardize everything, would you? I know exactly what you're about, freak."

His eyes flamed in a way that might've scared him if he'd been at least a little bit saner. " So you think I'm a freak, huh? You think… You think I'm a…!" The rest died out under his rage. " Well I'm going to show you just what I am!"

The expression of horror he saw on Zaku's face brought him much more pleasure than he would've liked to admit.

* * *

After so many weeks of waiting, Gaara decided that he just couldn't sit around doing nothing any longer. Kimimaro was in that creep's hands, and not knowing what was going on was driving him insane – no matter how many times the boy had tried to tell him everything was okay, it just wasn't enough, especially with the past days without a trace of the other. And so that evening, he did something a part of him already then knew to be a huge mistake.

The moment Kimimaro opened the tiny apartment's door, answering to his extremely demanding knocking, the boy's green eyes flew wide with no control. The shiner covering the white-haired's left eye was much too clear against unnaturally pale skin. " You… shouldn't be here. I thought we…"

He shook his head, effectively cutting the speech with the look in his eyes. " No." His voice was firm, harsh almost. " I've been waiting long enough, prayed for some stupid miracle. Now I'm done." He folded his arms and lifted his chin a little. " I'm not leaving without you."

For several moments the boy looked at him, appearing disbelieving and so torn that in some other situation it might've shattered his heart. In the end, however, the male moved – only two steps, but nonetheless giving him a clear enough permission to enter. " He'll be back in two minutes – he never leaves for long."

His eyes flashed while he entered. Nausea balled up in his stomach while he scanned through the apartment that had barely any light. All the smell, odd devices he didn't even want to recognize, bars before windows… _Shit…_ It was a thousand times worse than he'd thought. " Where's your stuff?" he asked rather gruffly, taking the other boy's hand without noticing it and closing it into a firm, determined hold.

Kimimaro remained silent for the longest moment without meeting his gaze, as though the boy would've had something to be embarrassed of. " I… don't have any, really. Except for one old picture."

He nodded, not sure if he should've felt heartbroken or relieved. The takeoff wouldn't take long, then. " Go and get it. We better start running."

After only a blink of what looked like utter confusion Kimimaro obeyed, disappearing into a closet like room that had a shabby curtain as a door. In less than thirty seconds they were in the hallway, on their way to safety.

And it was then Gaara met Orochimaru's eyes for the second time. This time, they looked like those of a deranged beast's. " Going somewhere?"

For the next twenty seconds everything happened so fast that he barely had the time to register the events. Kimimaro took a stand before him, as though trying to protect him. " Orochimaru-sama, no!" That voice… wasn't the one he'd grown accustomed to. " This… isn't his fault. I planned this. Don't punish him."

Had he had the time, he would've surely moved – done _something_, damn it – to stop the hit before it ever happened, but he didn't snap back into reality until Orochimaru's hand had already moved, sending Kimimaro backwards against him. " Stay out of this." It was almost horrifying that Orochimaru's tone held absolutely no anger at all. " We'll talk later."

And it was then Gaara finally felt himself boil over. Giving a loud, low growl he jumped from behind Kimimaro, absolutely everything inside him burning, _seething_. " Leave him the fuck alone, asshole!" he snarled as loudly as he could, his breath hitched with rage that didn't fit into any human standards. " Don't _ever_ lay a hand on him again."

Orochimaru seemed almost amused, although something dangerous loomed behind the expression. " Exactly what are you planning to do to stop me?"

Without even thinking he charged forth. He lost track on how many kicks, punches and hisses were exchanged until he became distracted by the sound of his cell phone ringing. In a matter of seconds he got a payment for his slip of attention.

At first he flew, straight towards the stairs behind him, and fell so long that he already wondered if he was ever going to land. Then everything became pitch black.

On the very edge of consciousness, he was almost sure he heard a blood-stilling scream. " GAARA!"

-

Kimimaro didn't know what to think or how to feel as he watched the space where Gaara had just stood, his heart racing on its very limit and his eyes widening. Everything inside him – from physical changes to emotions – were on such an overdrive that his whole body and mind seemed to be shutting down.

He didn't know of the tears that spilled.

He barely heard Orochimaru's voice. " Well, it looks like we'll have that _talk_ earlier than expected…"

-

On the other side of the town Deidara frowned when putting away his cell phone once finally believing that Gaara wouldn't answer.

A voice inside him messaged, screamed, that something was badly wrong. But then again, lately he hadn't really been able to rely on his instincts when it came to his boyfriend…

" Let me guess." Sasori's voice swept his thoughts elsewhere. " No reply?" The redhead's hand roamed far too comfortably on his lower torso. " What do you think about it?"

One of his eyebrows rose high while a battle started inside him.

* * *

When Naruto got that phone call from Sakura he didn't hesitate. Faster than he'd ever moved he was at the raven's house, and found himself all but terrified when finding Sakura sitting on the building's porch with a desolate expression. It was easy to see how her shoulders relaxed when she noticed him. " Finally!"

He didn't bother with greetings or any other pleasantries, for his mind was already racing entirely elsewhere. " Where is he?"

Sakura seemed to hold back a sigh. " In his room – he didn't let the medics in when they came to check up on him, didn't let even Itachi in."

He fought back a wince. Maybe he'd have more luck… " Thanks." With that – never hearing her wishes of luck – he rushed inside, knowing the way almost scarily well.

Sasuke's door was open, he discover, and for some reason the fact unnerved him. It took a beat's worth of hesitation before he managed to move forth and found himself stood by the doorway. What he met made him want to grimace.

Inside, Sasuke was sitting on his bed, hugging his legs that'd been brought against his chest, a somewhat hazy look in those formerly fiery onyx eyes. The boy's injuries were chillingly easy to spot, although the raven had most likely done a lot of work to hide them; wounds on several places, a clearly visible black eye…

Suppressing a sigh, he finally willed himself to move, and when Sasuke did nothing to stop him – didn't react in any way whatsoever, actually – he made it all the way to the boy, sat to the bedside. In a matter of moments his hand found the Uchiha's.

He remained still for a very long moment, not sure what to say. In the end a tiny, sad smile rose to his face. " It's… It's all right now, you know? It's over."

Silence lingered, and time stood until he started to feel dizzy from holding his breath. Then, so suddenly that he shuddered a little, there was an extremely gentle pressure on his hand as a sign of the Uchiha accepting his support. He already thought the other wouldn't fight against him at all until the raven moved again.

Sasuke's gaze rose to meet his slowly, almost as though unwillingly, and onyx eyes flashed with something that seemed close to fear or self hatred. " You shouldn't have come here to pity me", the boy all but growled after a long silence and looked away, obviously mentally declaring the issue closed.

Usually, he might've felt frustrated, even lashed out. But today… His motions were uncharacteristically soft while he brushed gently a bruise he could just see. " I'm not here because of pity, idiot", he stated in a voice that didn't even try to hide what he was feeling. Not hesitating, he leaned his forehead against the Uchiha's, savouring the sensation of a bond he could feel lingering somewhere between them. " Don't you think I know better than that already?"

He wondered if Sasuke noticed how the raven snuggled closer. " Hmmph." Coming from the Uchiha, that was just as good as asking ' Hold me'.

Not saying a word – because he knew no words would work in this case – he simply sighed inwardly and wrapped his arms rather tightly around the raven, holding the tattered being as tightly as he could although he felt every single one of the boy's muscles tense up against the touch. He didn't give up – didn't loosen his embrace the slightest – until Sasuke finally relaxed one muscle by one; with the realization that he wasn't leaving, due to fatigue or for some other reason he couldn't tell.

A tiny smile gracing his lips, he placed a kiss to the top of the other's head.

" You can fight as long as you want", he murmured, only distinctly realizing that he was speaking out loud. " But I'm not giving up on you, okay?"

Sasuke sat absolutely still for so long that he wondered if the Uchiha had fallen asleep, then gave something so quiet he barely caught it. " Should've known. You're an idiot."

-

They didn't know that two pairs of eyes watched them through a slightly open door, one of them unseeing yet softened by the sight.

Itachi gave a small sigh while closing the door without a sound.

Finally, after so long, there seemed to be hope for both of them…

" So…" Hinata's voice carried a hint of amusement. " It looks like Sasuke's going to be alright, after all."

His chest rose, and it wasn't until then he realized how tight and how long it'd been. " Yeah."

He shivered a little when feeling Hinata's hand grab his. " Come on." It amazed him how demanding and strong her voice suddenly was. " You can barely stand. Let's go to sleep, okay?"

-

Once two hours had passed, Naruto – who'd almost dozed off with Sasuke's comfortable warmth in his arms – shuddered just a little bit when sensing sudden movement. The Uchiha's hand… It was…

His eyes widened, and it took his all not to squeak. " Sasuke, what the…?!" Everything else died into his throat when sensations he'd never experienced before floated in like a tideway.

Onyx eyes were filled with something completely different from the past couple of hours when locking with his. " What… does it look like, idiot?"

He shivered violently with something he could only call pleasure when the other brushed something very private. " Are…" Gosh, it was almost impossible to think coherently with everything there was zooming through and inside him! " you sure…?" Could he really trust on a _this_ dramatic change?

Oh, Sasuke's hands and mouth didn't feel uncertain at all… " Does it look like I'm not?"

He gasped, certainly not used to such a contact, and found it almost deviously easy to get lost into the tide. It was so very hard to fight the pulsating sensation that was making his pants much too tight… " This… This isn't your first time, huh?" he muttered, although it was the about least romantic choice of words imaginable.

_Focus… Focus, focus, focus…_

Damnit, he was doomed.

Sasuke breathed against his neck, the warm air forming causing him chills. " No." He wasn't sure which of the feelings rising was stronger – disappointment or such a heat that it was almost enough to drive him insane. The Uchiha cut his thoughts quite effectively with biting his neck so that he moaned. " But I'm more than willing to teach you, dobe."

He closed his eyes and bit back another moan, afraid of what it'd do to him.

Goodness, how much a part of him would've wanted this! But… he didn't want it to happen this way, not when he knew just how fragile Sasuke was against his touch. What if he'd make a wrong move and destroy everything, what if he'd bring even further damage?

Although every single cell in his body screamed against it, he placed his hand to Sasuke's chest, gently stopping the raven's movements. " No", he murmured, giving the boy a kiss to soften the refusal. " You're not ready for this, not yet – I can feel it. And I'm not planning on using you like this."

Sasuke took a deep breath, then sighed and all but slumped limply against the mattress. There was half of an infinity of silence until the raven finally spoke so softly that he had difficulties with catching it. " I'm tired", the boy admitted, although it was apparent how much pride such an admittance required.

His eyes softened while he stroked the boy's dark locks, liking the feeling of them. " I know." He also lay down, holding on tight and nuzzling his head against the other's while closing his eyes. " Now sleep. It's almost morning, anyway."

He could tell how Sasuke struggled before finally sighing heavily. " Hn."

In the spur of the moment he added, so quietly that he wondered if it could even be heard. " I'm not gonna let you get hurt again, okay?" He sighed in deep. " I'll do anything to keep you from getting hurt again."

He was fairly sure Sasuke rolled his eyes before muttering way past halfway asleep. " Go to sleep, dobe."

As Naruto wrapped his arms even more tightly around the raven he was almost ridiculously happy that the boy didn't try to fight back, instead snuggled closer, most likely almost fully asleep.

This, he mused, most likely meant that they were a real, official couple – after all, they'd just stepped well over the line of a friendship. And surprisingly enough that thought didn't feel horrifying to him. Instead he felt better than ever in his life.

While he rested there, with Sasuke in his arms and the Uchiha's scent he found himself liking very much filling his mind, he found it easy to believe that things could finally be turning towards the better.

* * *

On the other side of the town, Kin's eyebrow rose high up when Zaku entered the apartment, slamming the door shut. Her gaze strayed to the huge bruise decorating his left eye, along with the other injuries he seemed to have sustained. " What the hell ran you over?"

Zaku grit his teeth, eyes flaming unlike ever before. " That Uzumaki freak did – and for the last time", the boy screeched, cracking his knuckles. " It's time to put the plan into a motion – that bastard just made his last mistake."

* * *

As Naruto and Sasuke stepped into the school the next day – their hands clasped together underneath everyone's stares – they had no idea of the storm that'd erupt in a little over a month.

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: So Sasuke and Itachi's father is FINALLY getting what he deserves, and Zaku got beaten up. Hooray – this is a good day for our good guys! (pumps fist into air) But… What's Zaku going to do now? Because it sure looks ominous. And what about Gaara and Kimimaro? (gulps thickly)

Heh, the battery of my laptop is gonna die soon, so I've gotta start tuning off. PLEEEASE, do leave a review – after such a long break I could use one to know if any of you waited for this chappy! (gives pupp-eyes and offers cupcakes, too)

Only four chappies to go, including the epilogue! (gawks, and sniffles a bit) Dang, unbelievable!

Until next time, folks – I REALLY hope it won't take this long, and that ya'll all join in then!

Be good!

* * *

**Ami **: Hooray! I'm THRILLED to hear you consider the story thus far interesting.

Ah, I kind of agree with you. Naruto should just spill the beans; no secret can possibly be as bad as these games and lies, ne? (nod, nod)

Enormous thank yous for the review! I really hope I'll be seeing you around.

-

**lalala **: Awww, don't worry! I'm just glad ya're back now, un. (grins, and hugs)

You really like this one THAT much?! (beams with utter joy) Gosh, I can't even describe how good that's to hear! (hugs again, and offers some more muffins)

Gigantic thank yous for the review!

I hope ya'll have a great ride with the rest of the story as well.


	11. May

/N: YOSH! It didn't take me ages to update this time. Hooray – I'm so glad I'm finally getting back on track. (sighs happily)

BUT, first off… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for those heartwarming reviews! It means a lot to hear that this story was missed, ya know! (HUUUUUGS) So thank you! As always, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy, un.

Awkay, because I KNOW you just want to get on with it, let's rock! I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy.

* * *

CHAPTER 11: May

* * *

It was no secret that Hayate had decided to become a teacher because he not only loved working with children and teenagers, but was also good at reading them. That's why he could tell that Naruto wasn't okay while they sat on a bench outside the hospital, to where they'd gone so he'd be able to get a breath of fresh air. And he had a feeling that this time it wasn't because of Gaara's disappearance. "So… I'm taking it as you and Sasuke are doing okay."

The blond nodded, and he wondered if the boy noticed how his eyes softened at the mention of the Uchiha's name. "Yeah. He's feeling surprisingly well, all things considered. It's good to see him getting over all the crap." The teen's eyes then darkened. "It's just… I can't stop wondering if he'd accept me, if I told him, and I think he sees something is wrong with me."

"So your secret is digging a hole between you two?" He couldn't keep himself from smiling. "Of course he'll accept you." He ruffled the teen's hair. "You're a good person, Naruto, no matter what lies were once told. And you deserve a chance to be happy. Plus, you love him too much to screw up like this. So tell him, before it's much too late."

All of a sudden Naruto's eyes lit up, brightened as though the boy had seen a light of some sort. The grin that appeared was a welcomed sight. "Yeah. You know what? I'm gonna tell him today, before that bastard does." And this time, he could tell the teen meant it. The blond then took a glance towards his watch, and produced a hissing sound. "Oh crap, I was supposed to go and walk Sasuke to school and I'm already late."

He could barely hold back a chuckle. "Go. And remember to show up to tell me how it went."

Naruto's grin wavered a little while the boy nodded, waved and went.

While watching the boy go he sighed a little.

Perhaps now, he'd finally be ready to believe that things could work out, for both of them.

* * *

The weeks after his father had been taken away had gone by in a blur of some sort for Sasuke, who still found what'd happened hard to believe.

So far Itachi and he had been allowed to live in their house alone – as long as it was taken care of that they had enough money for food and social services visited them ever so often, every party was happy.

Physical injuries, of course, healed quickly – Sasuke had always been fast to recover. But he was somewhat surprised to notice that with Naruto's help it didn't take all that long before something inside him started to slide to place as well. He didn't think about his father every day anymore, and didn't live in constant fear of the man returning. And he didn't feel sick to his stomach every single second; in fact, he felt almost… well, normal, which was a very good feeling. Perhaps he should've called that healing as well. And Naruto never seemed to leave him alone, not even when he would've wanted to curl up into himself just like good old times. He didn't mind, really, although he would've never admitted it; as it'd turned out, the blond's company was quite far from unpleasant.

That day, as they walked towards the school the last of May, he mused that he'd spent so much time with the boy that he could tell something was wrong. "Naruto", he started out in the end. "You haven't said a word during the past five minutes, and it's getting pretty unnerving."

He felt mildly alarmed by the way Naruto swallowed, obviously gathering courage. "Look, Sasuke…" Did the boy just chew his lower lip? "Just… Can we meet at your place after school? Because I really need to tell you something."

He opened his mouth for questions, but they were all slammed back into his throat when his eyes moved to spot Zaku standing by a nearby corner. The boy was looking at him, obviously expecting, and cold shivers crossed his being.

This could _not_ be good.

"We'll… talk later, okay?" He fought the desire to sigh heavily. "There's something I need to take care of before it gets out of hand." _Something I should've taken care of a long time ago…_

Naruto nodded with apparent reluctance, then seemed to swallow a little, as though something had been badly wrong. "Sasuke…" The boy then sighed. "Meh, just go – we'll talk later. I'm already badly late for the class, anyway." The blond seemed almost worried for some reason, and he couldn't help wondering what was going on.

He nodded slowly, fighting the urge to ask questions that wouldn't be answered. "Okay." Then, giving Naruto's hand a one last squeeze, he took one step backwards, then another, until he was already walking away. "See you later."

If Naruto responded something, he didn't hear it while he walked towards the corner and quite reluctantly stopped right before Zaku. "What the hell do you want?"

The brunette's eyes flashed dangerously. "To talk." The boy's eyes darted towards the couple of people who could be seen wandering nearby. "Let's go somewhere more private first."

* * *

While watching Sasuke go, Naruto swallowed down the ominous feeling that'd rose into his throat and started to make his way towards the school's doors.

Perhaps he should've been warned by the looks the couple of people who'd emerged from the building had given him, should've felt that something was _wrong_. But he didn't face what'd happened until he entered the building, and it was slammed right at his face.

Absolutely everywhere lingered copies of a newspaper article he would've never wanted to see again, decorated by the picture of his at the time young, petrified and tearstained face while a policeman carried him towards an awaiting car.

'_A young couple was found burned to death in their apartment early yesterday morning. The fire is said to be the worst in Konoha's history._

_The couple had one young child, but so far officials are quiet about his connection to the fire. He's been sent for a psychiatric __evaluation…_'

And then, there was also another article, an even harsher one that made his eyes blur.

'_The Demon Child of Konoha_

_It is now suspected that the young couple killed in the fire was, in fact, murdered by their very own child. After sessions with a psychiatrist, new details have been revealed of the night's events…_'

He didn't want to read, didn't want to know or think, and allowed his gaze to wander – only to discover that the next target wasn't the slightest bit more pleasant. He didn't know how the hell it was possible, but apparently Zaku had gotten a hold of his criminal record, because copies of it had been scattered everywhere. The words and memories hit him like stones.

Drunken nights.

Assaults.

Possession of drugs.

He could still recall the night when Danzou had showed up to pick him up from the jail. It was the first time they'd met.

* * *

/ _The man had looked at him as though he'd been the worst filth there was, as though his mere presence would've made the man feel like throwing up. "Take your bag, brat. You're going with me."_

_As from that day, he was never allowed to forget about his past – he saw it every time he looked into the man's, Kushina Uzumaki's father's, eyes._

_He'd been sent from hell to somewhere even worse._ /

* * *

To enthrone the brutal exposure of his past, several pictures had been placed to leave out all room for questions. Pictures the police had taken, pictures that'd been taken when he'd been in a mental institution, pictures of him and Sasuke, pictures that'd been taken when his life was in pieces…

He'd tried so fucking hard to run away from those memories – he'd changed his name, his appearance, his _everything_. And now…

This was too much, way too much.

He did his best to ignore the long, varying looks that became glued to him when he ran out of the building, feeling like he couldn't breathe anymore. The sound of the school's doors closing reminded of that of hell's gates.

* * *

During the past hectic months Hayate had grown used to being afraid for those he loved the most and dealing with abruptly changing situations. Yet when he woke up that morning, his whole body turned cold with the sensation that something was very, very wrong.

His eyes flew open, and while he coughed he barely realized he was in the hospital, sitting in a chair to which he'd fallen asleep. His frantic gaze immediately flashed to the bed before him – only to discover it empty.

His heart practically stopped for a tiny moment.

Yuugao was supposed to be in a bed rest. So where…?

Pushing himself up and coughing some more, he made his way to the room's tiny bathroom. Once there he felt a tiny flash of relief when finding his soon to be wife, but the sensation disappeared in an instant when he realized the woman was leaning against the sink and holding her stomach.

He'd been right, he realized with chilling certainty. Something _was_ wrong, badly so.

His legs feeling awfully weak, he coughed twice and stepped up to the woman, resting a slightly trembling hand to her tense shoulder. "What's wrong?"

It wasn't until then he noticed that her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and some tears had already spilled. "The… The baby…" She swallowed thickly and trembled. "I… I think I'm in a labour."

* * *

Sasuke had never trusted Zaku all that much, but as he followed the boy that day his skin actually tingled with something that could only be called a bad omen.

Once they stopped he didn't bother with pleasantries. "What the hell do you want?" he asked again.

Zaku snorted, folding his arms. "Is that how you talk to a guy who was your skating partner for years? I'm insulted."

This time he was the one doing the snorting. "You make it sound like we would've been the best of friends."

Zaku chuckled. "Awww, don't say that. I think we were a lot more than friends." The boy's eyes darkened a little. "That is, until you got all fucked up after that accident."

A flare of utter rage crossed his being. So that was how Zaku talked about an event that'd never stop haunting him? That _accident_ had blinded Itachi, damaged his leg beyond repair, shattered their whole family…

His jaw tightened, and it took a lot to not look away from the other. "I needed to get the hell out of there, you know that."

Zaku shrugged, eyes a bit venomous. "I just wish you hadn't acted like you didn't even know me."

"I think you know exactly why I wasn't exactly overjoyed about having to explain our past to anyone." He grit his teeth, fighting furiously against the urge to hit the other's face. "I left because you were suffocating me and expecting me to do things I wasn't ready to do. And I left because you slammed a fist at my face, repeatedly, remember?"

Zaku's grit of teeth could actually be heard. "Those pictures of your pretty face all bruised destroyed my life, you know? I was kicked out of the fucking training system, no one would look at me in the eyes anymore. I had to leave that town!" The boy then took a deep breath, apparently calming down. "But I guess I have to understand, don't I? Besides, it's already age old history." The boy's eyes flashed in a way that unnerved him. "Right now, I'm much more interested in the future, and present."

He frowned, feeling chills. "What are you talking about?"

The brunette's expression wasn't promising. "Your little… playmate isn't exactly as honest with you as you'd like him to be." The boy held a tiny pause to add drama. "I… tested him a little. It was quite easy to make him do exactly as I wanted."

He rolled his eyes. "And I should listen to you, because…?"

Zaku quirked an eyebrow. "What, you don't believe me?" The boy took out a recorder and pressed a button. "Then let _him_ tell you."

The first voice was definitely Zaku's._ " Now… You've got two options. __Either you play nicely with us for a while, or we'll tell everyone about your secret. __You can immediately kiss your life in Konoha goodbye if we do."_

The second voice was painfully unmistakable._ " What the hell do you want me to do?"_

_" Whatever. Just remember that a deal is a deal. You break him, or we'll break you."_

It was long from when he'd felt as cold as he did when hearing Naruto's voice._ " Don't worry."_

Sasuke's head spun while facts finally started to sink into his consciousness.

Naruto… had _lied_ to him, about every single emotion…

All those words and signs of affection… They were _empty_, only a part of some sick deal…

He'd been nothing but a piece in some stupid game. And he'd actually been an idiot enough to fall for it all, to…

His eyes narrowed – against whom, he had no clue and he didn't even care.

Zaku all but sneered at him. "What's with the face? You didn't think he'd really care about you, did you?"

At that moment he did the only thing he could think of.

He lifted his fist and slammed it directly at Zaku's face, making the surprised boy fall down to the ground. The brunette screamed out a cuss at him and held his nose while some blood ran, but he heard or saw none of it.

All he saw was red, and all he heard was a buzzing sound along with Naruto's words.

/ _" I'm not gonna let you get hurt again, okay? I'll do anything to keep you from getting hurt again."_ /

He'd never felt this betrayed in his entire life – not when his father had hit him for the first time, not even when his mother had died. And making Zaku pay wasn't enough.

His legs felt unbearably heavy as he turned around and started to make his way away, deciding to escape what was building up inside him before it'd blow.

-

Sasuke and Zaku, of course, couldn't know that most of their conversation had been listened to.

Neji shivered just a little bit without noticing it. "That was harsh."

Sakura's green eyes flashed while she spun around and started to run. "Are you coming or not?"

Neji followed without questions while she sunk into her thoughts.

There was only one person who could try and fix this. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

* * *

Naruto found it hard to breathe while he leaned heavily against the school's wall, no longer even feeling the hot tears that were currently drying to his dramatically paled face.

Zaku, that bastard… He'd actually…

Gosh, he didn't want to even _think_ about going back there!

"Naruto." Sakura's voice only managed to catch his attention because it sounded so panicked. Very slowly and with much effort, he opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards her.

The look in her green eyes startled him, and he started to shiver. "What's wrong?" _Please, don't tell me there's something more…_

Sakura seemed to gulp thickly. "Naruto, Zaku… He told Sasuke everything."  
At first he blinked twice, not quite understanding. Then – as realization dawned – his eyes widened and the little color there'd been on his face disappeared.

_Oh shit…_

Although his throat was in no condition for forming words, he tried anyhow and managed to wheeze. "Where… Where is he?"

Sakura shook her head, swallowing laboriously. "I don't know."

He didn't need any further coaxing. Not managing to say a word to the girl – or Neji, who was stood right behind her – he spun around and started to rush away, letting something inside him take the lead and begging anything or anyone listening that he wasn't too late.

He swallowed down a new burst of sour tears while running, knowing they'd be pointless.

Why the hell did everything have to fall apart at one go?

* * *

During his career as a doctor, Tatami Iwashi had met several patients pretty much anyone would've labelled as lost causes. But he'd never felt quite as discouraged as he did when looking at his newest patient that day.

He didn't even remember how many days ago a red haired teenage boy had been brought to the ward, face so badly damaged that identification would've been barely possible even if the teen would've had any sort of a ID. The boy had sustained a lot of broken bones and lost a lot of blood, but the worst bit had been a heavy blow to the head that'd caused some inner bleeding along with swelling, which had almost killed the teen. Now – after several long surgeries – the kid's condition was a lot better, but there was still miles to go and it was impossible to tell the extend of the damage before the teen would wake up.

_If _such a miracle would ever happen.

He emitted a deep sigh and typed a little to the computer he was dragging along on a cart before walking up to the boy. Usually he didn't get all that chummy with patients, especially because during these rounds he always had a nurse with him, but now…

This patient before him was just a child, who had _no one_. He couldn't be cruel.

He could've sworn the teen's hand shuddered a bit when he touched it, although such a reaction was next to impossible. "Now listen to me, will you?" His voice wasn't quite like the usual. "Somewhere out there someone is waiting for you to wake up, I can feel it. So you better not give up on us."

Of course, there was no response.

He sighed out loud when leaving the room after exchanging a few words with the nurse.

This teen really needed something to live for, and he could only hope such a thing would appear fast enough.

-

In another ward not all that far away, psychiatrist Yamato sighed heavily while stood behind the huge window that opened a view to a room where a young boy with long, white hair and somewhat dead green eyes was sitting on the floor. The teen had pulled his legs to his chest and wrapped a pair of arms tightly around them, as though creating a shield against the rest of the world.

"So…", he started out in the end, figuring that he'd have to speak. "This is how he was found from that hellhole?"

Anko, who was uncharacteristically solemn beside him, nodded. "He hasn't spoken a word, and so far no one's been able to touch him without having to sedate him." The woman shook her head. "We don't know his name or anything else about him." The other gathered herself for a long time before speaking again. "He has several injuries, including bruises and old bone fractures. We… also found clear signs of long term sexual abuse."

He felt sick to his stomach, and couldn't keep himself from shivering a little while looking at the obviously frail being on the other side of the glass.

_This world is a cruel place sometimes_, he thought bitterly.

In the end he swallowed down a sigh and steeled himself. "Well… I suppose I should go in, then."

Anko nodded. "Good luck."

Somehow, he wondered if any amount of that would be enough with this case…

* * *

It took far longer than Naruto would've seen fit to find Sasuke, and when he finally saw the boy his chest moved painfully.

The raven was stood on the street right outside the teen's house, swaying visibly. It was easy to tell how drunk the Uchiha was.

Without thinking, without using any reason whatsoever, he approached. "Sasuke…"

He stopped in an instant when Sasuke's eyes turned towards him, filled with so much rage that it actually startled him for a moment. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He swallowed thickly. So this was how bad things were… "I… came to try and fix things." _And I really hope it's not too late yet._

Sasuke's eyes lit into a flame of wrath and bitterness, and he was fairly sure they even came close to tearing up. "You fucking used to me! Whatever the hell there was between us… it was based on a lie! So how are you going to make that better?!"

Naruto swallowed thickly, feeling like he'd been torn apart. "Sasuke, I… I'm so sorry. I'm…"

The boy shook his head forcefully, taking several steps backwards as he did so. "Don't", the raven hissed with such venom that it must've even tasted bitter. "Stay… the fuck away from me, understood? Leave me alone already."

Tears… Naruto could feel them traveling down his cheeks while he watched Sasuke turn around sharply and start walking away, towards a cab that'd appeared out of nowhere.

Was this really happening? He didn't go saying he wouldn't have deserved this, but…

He just couldn't lose Sasuke, didn't want to even think about such an option. He couldn't let things end like this.

And suddenly he was moving, fast. Before another thought he'd jumped into the cab, his heart racing beyond all human limitations.

Sasuke seemed ready to hit him once he took his seat. "What the hell are you doing?"

His eyes flashed, he could tell. "Trying to keep you from leaving."

Quite distinctly, he noticed the cabdriver glancing towards them through the rear-view mirror with a shake of head before focusing on his work.

The Uchiha's eyes smouldered with something that nearly chilled him. "Why?"

He closed his eyes and willed the tears to keep falling, no longer giving a damn about pride and dignity. "Because… Because I love you, okay?"

Not daring to open his eyes, he listened how Sasuke breathed harshly. It took far longer than he felt ready to bear before the boy finally spoke in a tone he didn't recognize. "So far you haven't exactly shone with your pledges and promises. So give me one good reason to believe you."

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

What could he have said, anyway, after everything he'd done? Sasuke wouldn't listen.

There was a somewhat wet sound. "Thought so." Somehow, it made him feel even worse that Sasuke didn't sound surprised – that answer, or lack of thereof, seemed to be exactly what the other had been expecting.

They sat in utter silence much longer than he would've been able to handle, until he just had to speak. "Sasuke, I…" His lips fumbled for words until he finally managed to look towards the other. "Sasuke, please, look at me, will you?"

Sasuke's eyes were unreadable – devoid of absolutely everything – when they finally met his. "Do you know what's the most pathetic part?" The raven looked away, out the car's window, as though the mere sight of him had disgusted the boy. "I _knew_, Naruto."

His head spun as he began to realize. "What…?" It was barely even a breath.

"I knew everything about your past", Sasuke repeated in a voice that shuddered with tightly locked back emotions. "Sakura talked to me months ago, and told me that if I don't accept you I should just leave you alone and move on." There was a bitterness filled, tiny snort. "Turns out it was _you_ who didn't trust and accept _me_."

Naruto barely heard the last sentence, because his mind was running a million miles per hour and it was hard – nearly painful – to breathe.

While he'd been so focused on hiding and figuring out a way to run away from all his secrets, he hadn't even noticed that Sasuke…

His breath hitched.

That all along, the one who'd mattered the most had known already.

He fought the urge, to laugh or cry he didn't know.

He was a fucking moron, wasn't he? And now… Quite rapidly the one thing that'd mattered to him was falling apart. And it wasn't even Zaku's fault, not this time, not entirely – he was the one who'd done all the dirty work.

He would've reached out his hand and touched Sasuke's, had he not known that it'd be of no use. "Fuck…" His eyes blurred once more, and he lifted his gaze towards the car's ceiling. There was a huge, very nasty dirty spot, he noticed. "I… I'm sorry", he all but choked out, although he knew it to be pointless.

Sasuke didn't speak a word, at least such he would've heard.

He opened his mouth – to say what, would always remain a mystery – but never got even a breath out before everything happened like a flash in some crappy movie.

Another car, a blue Corvette, appeared out of nowhere, hitting theirs with a breathtaking force. There was a thunder like sound, and they were flying.

* * *

Yuugao had never been as scared or in as much pain as she was that day.

"Ýuugao!" The sound of her doctor made barely any sense to her. "I know it hurts, but we've given you medication to speed up this process, alright? So you need to push – the baby's already coming, this'll be over soon."

She groaned a little and closed her eyes, and felt almost ready to give in until a kiss was planted softly to her forehead. A hand squeezed hers. "You can do it, okay? This won't take long anymore." Hayate coughed thrice. "Just push, and remember to breathe."

And push she did, with all she was worth, screaming heartbreakingly as she did so, pain ravishing her body without any mercy.

She just wanted this to be _over_, damn it!

She had no idea how long the struggle continued, but quite hazily she realized that at some point an oxygen mask was placed to her face – apparently she did forget to breathe, after all. It seemed to take forever before there was finally the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

A cry – extremely frail and small, but still.

She felt tears slip to her cheeks while she opened her eyes to look at the newcomer. Her eyes widened a little at what she found.

The baby… Although the little one was crying helplessly and waved a tiny pair of arms, the child's skin was so very blue. And was even a newborn supposed to be _that_ small?

"What… What's wrong?" she tried, although she barely managed to speak. "What's wrong with the baby?"

"Yuugao." Once more the doctor claimed all her attention although all she would've wanted to do was to make sure the baby was okay. "Number two is already on the way, so you need to focus on this, okay?"

Her eyes widened, and she could've sworn she heard Hayate gasp before the man broke into coughs.

A… second baby? How…?

Moments later she finally managed to gather herself despite all the panic still flooding, and – screaming at the top of her lungs – pushed as hard as she could, desperate to get the job done and make the pain stop, to make sure her babies would be okay.

The world was blurry when she was finally coherent enough to understand what was going on around her. She could barely hear Hayate's voice. "The babies… Will they be okay?"

She'd never forget the tone of the doctor's voice. "They… are very small, and it's still a bit too early to tell how they're doing. But I promise you that we'll do our best."

She fought as hard as she could, with all the force of her desperation. But in the end no struggle was enough against the thing wanting to claim her.

She managed to squeeze Hayate's hand once more before everything faded into a blur.

* * *

Naruto didn't know how long the darkness had lasted until his ears were suddenly alerted by sounds. " …hear me? Hey, kid!"

He blinked sluggishly, desperately trying to gather hit wits and understand what was going on. His heart nearly stilled as he remembered. "…'suke…"

What the hell was going on? Where was Sasuke? Was…?

Just then another voice appeared, and the words made him feel like he'd been punched straight to his stomach. "We just cleared off the body. You…" The rest faded away.

His eyes widened to a ridiculous extend, and it took his all to not scream.

A… body…?

_NO_. No way in hell…!

He tried his hardest to speak, but when that didn't succeed he ended up turning his head to see at least something. What he met made him want to vomit. It wasn't until something wet and cold hit his hot cheeks he realized it'd started to rain.

"Kid! Hey, look at me! Look at me and stay awake, damn it!"

There was blood, absolutely everywhere… He'd never felt that much pain in his entire life.

His horribly wet, wrenching sobs could barely be heard. "I never wanted this, I… I swear… I never…"

Eyes fluttered closed, sealing in only one question.

Where the hell did it all go so wrong?

Zaku's words remained echoing in his ears like a sickening mantra.

_"You made your decision. Now, there's no other choice but to hold on and enjoy the ride."_

* * *

TBC, no?

* * *

A/N: Uh-huh… (sweatdrops) Talking about a cliffie…

Awww, crap… (winces) You're all going to hang me for that one, aren't you? (screams, and runs for cover)

Before I speed off, PLEASE do leave a review! They mean a lot, ya know? (glances pleadingly)

Only three chappies to go! (sniffs)

'Til next time, folks!

Be good!

* * *

**lalala**: Awww, I'm glad to hear you like me answering personally! (grins) Trust me, it's no biggy, and I love talking to ya guys. (hugs)

You like this one best of my fics? (beams) Awww, that's so good to hear! Ya know, this indeed is the most realistic out of those I've orchestrated. Heh, nice change for an author. (nod, nod, and grins)

Heh, don't worry, I DEFINITELY won't stop writing for a long, LONG time – I love producing stuff for you guys way too much. (grins)

Enormous thank yous for the fantastic review!

I really hope you'll have a good time with the rest as well.


	12. June

A/N: I'm baaaaack! Heh, 'figured I owe ya guys a fast update after the last chappy's humongous cliffie. (chuckles somewhat nervously, then screams and runs from all the thrown weapons)

First off, MY GOODNESS – thank you so much for all those absolutely baffling reviews! So many of them… (beams with utter joy, then HUUUUGS and showers ya with chocolate chip cookies) THANK YOU! As per usual, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy, un.

Awkay, because I can just feel that ya guys want to get on with the story already… Let's roll! I truly hope you'll enjoy this one.

* * *

CHAPTER 12: June

* * *

It was almost amusing how silent a small room almost full of people could be as a group of five sat camping in the hospital's waiting room while the clock crawled past the limit of midnight, marking the start of June. Pretty much all of them had been in the room for hours already, but not another word had been voiced for a long time.

What words would fit into such a situation, anyway?

Everyone's eyes rose hopefully when the room's door was opened, and several hearts skipped beats when a doctor who'd introduced himself as Tatami Iwashi entered. The man blinked a little at how many people there were before speaking. "Are you all here for Uzumaki Naruto?"

In an instant Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Sakura and Neji stood up from their seats with solemn expressions. "How is he?" the pinkette inquired in a tight voice, blinking her puffy eyes.

The doctor dared to smile just a little at her concern. "He just came out of the surgery, and I dare to say that it looks like he's going to be okay."

The loudness of the sighs erupting was surprising. "Can we see him?" Shikamaru demanded as soon as the boy had recovered a little.

Dr. Tatami smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but he needs a lot of rest right now. You can come and see him in a few days, though…" The doctor seemed to bite back a tiny chuckle. "It'd be the best if you'd come with a smaller crowd."

Kiba looked a bit like Naruto when grinning sheepishly – relief shining from his eyes – whereas Shino folded his arms and emitted a 'hmph', and Shikamaru all but pouted.

Sakura was the only one able to speak, appearing so dazed that it looked like she'd been sleepwalking or something. "Thank you."

Dr. Iwashi nodded, flashing a sympathetic look towards them. "No problem. Now, go to get some sleep – it must've been a long night for you all."

As soon as the doctor disappeared, Neji's eyes moved towards Sakura – he didn't trust her calm façade. He laid a hand to her shoulder to find it extremely tense. "Are you… okay?"

For a few seconds the girl's face remained neutral, and she even managed to open her mouth. But then it all fell apart as fast as it'd appeared.

The others could only watch as her knees buckled and she buried her face into her hands, falling rather heavily into a slightly surprised Neji's arms. All he could do was hold her as tightly and reassuringly as he could while taking a seat, pulling her shuddering frame close while she eventually buried her face into his chest to hide them.

She was a strong girl, a fighter even, but even she had her limits.

For the upcoming hour her sobs were the only sound heard in the room.

* * *

A couple of floors down, Hayate was equally solemn while he stood beside two incubators in which he and Yuugao's daughters – Rie and Aika, as they'd been named in a emergency christening – rested while fighting desperately for their lives.

The doctor had been almost brutally honest with him; Aika's heart was far from okay and very soon the girl would need a drastic surgery to stay alive, and Rie's lungs weren't fully developed, which meant that the girl would have to spend a long time in the hospital, at best. Their little miracles were tough, that much they'd already proven. But even as their father he couldn't help wondering if they were just too frail for a war of this magnitude.

"Look at them." Yuugao's – who was sitting in a wheelchair before him – tone was far from its usual, and he didn't even want to see his fiancée's expression. "They… They're so small."

He didn't know what to say. This was the first time Yuugao was allowed to see their little angels, as she'd been in a rather intensive care so far. He remembered his first time, and could only wonder what the woman was going through, especially since she was the babies' mother.

He swallowed hard, not sure what to think or say. "I know."

Just then, right before their eyes, Aika's hand moved, just a little but visibly nonetheless while the child started crying, as though the baby had begged them to touch her, _hold_ her. And suddenly they were far too much aware of the fact that they couldn't do something as simple as fulfil that request. They couldn't even…

He felt like crying himself when Yuugao's shoulders started to quake, but forced himself to stay firm while wrapping his arms around her.

If they'd both break down and give up all would be lost.

* * *

Itachi had felt panic several times before, but never had he faced anything as powerful – crushing – as he did when getting a phone call late at night.

Sasuke… had been in a car accident that'd claimed two lives. That was all the doctor had been willing to tell him; the rest, apparently, would be explained as soon as he'd get to the hospital. While he searched desperately for his clothes a horrifying bad feeling kept swelling in the back of his head.

In the end, while putting his shirt on, he actually felt sick to his stomach.

While he'd been spending time with Hinata, his brother…

No. That thought was too painful. At the moment he'd have to focus on believing that Sasuke was still alive and would be okay – otherwise he might just start screaming and he'd never stop.

While going, running, downstairs he was so deep in thought that he almost ran into Hinata, who'd apparently frozen in the middle of a hallway. In a flash he could tell that something was even more wrong than moments before.

He frowned, feeling cold all over. "What…?" For some reason he just couldn't get the rest out.

Hinata's voice was barely audible, and muffled by sobs she was clearly holding back. "My… My mother, and sister… They've been in a car crash…" The rest faded away.

No matter how valiantly he attempted, he just couldn't produce a word. The only act of comfort he managed was slipping his hand into her surprisingly cold one.

He'd been blind for a while already, but never had the world been as dark as it was when they sat into a cab a bit later.

* * *

When first waking up, Naruto heard this annoying beeping sound that made him want to wince. His head felt fuzzy and heavy, and thoughts wouldn't work properly.

_What…?_

Then, with a blow that almost took his breath away, it all came back to him.

His eyes flew open – stung hellishly due to the sudden attack of light and something else – and a small, choked sound crawled through his throat.

_Sasuke…!_

"Naruto? Are you awake?" That voice… It was definitely familiar. The beeping he'd heard before grew faster, almost frantic, and all of a sudden pain started to build up inside him. He shivered a little when a hand grabbed his. "Naruto, calm down! You've already been unconscious for almost two days – don't you dare fall back asleep."

Very slowly and with far more effort than he'd expected his eyes opened. For just a moment his heart jumped with hope when he was almost sure he distinguished dark hair and eyes – but soon enough his hazy vision cleared out to Sakura's face. Something warm trickled to his cheeks when he squeezed her hand tightly, desperately.

She frowned when looking at him. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

He could hardly speak, but tried bravely – this was too painful, hurt too damn much, to be kept in. The warmth on his cheeks intensified. "Sas… Sasuke, he…" His voice was raspy, as though he hadn't used it in years. "… my fault…"

It was all his fault that Sasuke…

Because of his stupidity his boyfriend was…

He, of course, didn't notice how something lit up in Sakura's eyes as she finally caught on. "Naruto!" Her voice barely managed to reach his chaotic mind. Her eyes lingered between soft and hard. "The cabdriver and someone else died, but Sasuke… Sasuke's alive."

It took several moments, but eventually those words started to make sense to him. His eyes widened as relief unlike anything he'd ever felt before flowed through his system.

Alive… Still alive…

There was still a chance…

For several moments he buried his face into his hands, savoring everything there was speeding through his veins. He took a deep breath before looking back towards Sakura, not sure if he wanted to ask more – everything felt too good and perfect at the moment. "How… is he?"

The look on the pinkette's face made his chest move uncomfortably. She chewed her lip. "He… got a bit banged up, but the doctors are going to try and wake him up soon."  
His heart felt much too big as it started to race. "I… want to see him." He had to, needed to, make sure and see…

Sakura sighed a little. "Naruto, you're not well enough to get out of the bed yet." She gave him a small smile. "Try to rest, okay? It's the best you can do right now, for both of you. I promise I'll come and tell you if anything new comes up."

He wished he would've had the might to argue, but at the moment he was so tired that his eyes barely stayed open. He cast a one more pleading glance towards her. "Make sure… he's okay, please?"

She nodded, seeming… a bit sad, actually. "I will." With that she gave his hand a small squeeze, then started to leave. "Now sleep, before we'll have to make you."

Just before she was in the hallway he gathered himself once more. "Sakura." He had to lick his lips once more before going on. "Don't… make the same mistake I did… okay? Promise me."

Whatever response she gave, he didn't register it. Hard as he tried to fight against the fatigue, he fell into a hue a couple of minutes later.

All his dreams were about Sasuke, and when he woke up groggily a couple of times his cheeks were always warm and moist.

* * *

For the next ten minutes Sakura stood in the hospital's hallway, completely paralyzed by a force she couldn't name. In the end she started to move faster than she ever had.

Neji, who'd probably been coming over to visit Hanabi, frowned when she almost ran into him. "Sakura, what's going on? Shouldn't you be in a shift?"

She swallowed thickly before managing to produce words. _Shit…_ "Neji… We need to talk."

-

Three minutes of nothing but silence had never felt as long as they did when Sakura sat next to Neji on a bench outside the hospital, looking at his face and trying to find any sort of a sign.

When the brunette finally did speak, the tone unnerved her. "TenTen… was pregnant?"

She nodded slowly, feeling pathetically fearful. "Yeah." She wasn't sure if going on was a good idea, but did so anyhow. "Her family, it would've never accepted, so she had to make the decision and…" Saying 'get rid of it' felt much too hard and bitter, so she didn't. "That's why she left. She didn't know how to tell you, and she begged me not to say a word." She gave a shuddering sigh. "Neji, I'm…"

All words became slammed into the back of her throat when Neji shook his head harshly. "Don't." The boy then got up so abruptly that she shivered a bit. "I've gotta go."

She was wise enough not to ask a thing, although her tongue was practically on fire. It wasn't often she would've felt as helpless as she did when looking at his distancing back.

So… Now it was done. And it sure as hell hadn't been as easy and painless as ripping off a bandage.

It wasn't until half an hour later she managed to wipe her cheeks.

* * *

After a long, almost hopeless investigation Dr. Tatami Iwashi was just about ready to give up on all hope when it came to his mysterious red haired patient.

The teen had been carrying no ID whatsoever, and so far _no one_ had showed up to ask questions. It was almost like no one in the world had cared about this child, and it made him feel sick to his stomach. How could someone be _that_ invisible?!

That day – yawning and stretching to stay awake until the end of his double shift – he finally remembered something he probably should've realized ages ago. Something paramedics had said while bringing the redhead in came back to echo in his ears.

/ _"Poor kid. I hope he and his friend will be okay."_ /

His eyes widened a fraction.

That's right – in all the rush and worrying he'd forgotten that the teen hadn't come alone. There'd been another, white haired teen…

"Hey, Rin", he spoke while turning towards the nurse who was typing something to a computer behind him. His voice shuddered a bit. "What happened to that kid who came with the redhead – which ward was he sent to?"

Rin frowned before finally remembering. "To psychiatric, I think." The woman sighed heavily. "He was in a pretty bad shape. Why?"

He didn't answer, because he was already dialing numbers, his heart pounding. If he was right, and this would work…

It seemed to take forever before there was a response. "Hey, Yamato." He took a breath. "About that mysterious patient of yours… There's someone I think he should meet."

* * *

After a full week in the hospital Naruto was recovering nicely – physically, at very least. Inside him a storm was still blowing.

According to the little knowledge he'd been given Sasuke was most likely going to be okay, but the raven's injuries were still very far from healed. All he would've wanted was to be with the Uchiha and freaking try to make up to _everything_, but he wasn't even allowed to leave his room. It didn't make things any easier that Gaara was still missing. He wondered if the redhead had left Konoha.

He ushered those unsettling thoughts away when the door of his room was opened. "Sakura-chan, I…" He then blinked once discovering who the arrivals were. "You guys?"

Seeming almost cautious to do so Kiba, Shikamaru and Shino entered, each taking a seat nearby his bed. "We thought we should come and make sure you're still kicking", Kiba stated, his tone not quite normal.

Shikamaru's eyes carried something he didn't recognize. "There's been… quite a bit of rumors going on about you."

His body turned very cold and heavy, and he had to look away. That's right – Sasuke wasn't the only one he'd been keeping secrets from. "Guys… I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It's just…" He didn't even know _what_, so he didn't try to come up with excuses.

For a moment it was painfully silent, until Kiba spoke. "You know what?" The brunette grinned. "Next time give us some of your famous hospital pudding, and we're cool."

And suddenly at least something seemed to be all right in the world again.

They must've been talking for almost an hour and a half – with Naruto finally getting a chance to forget his sorrows for a tiny bit – until there was a knock on the room's door. After a moment Hayate, who seemed much more tired than the last time they'd met, peered in with a small, exhausted smile. "Hey. I'm sorry I haven't visited – there's just… been a lot going on."

Shikamaru, seeming to sense that something was going on, stood up. "We were just leaving, anyway."

After goodbyes – and Kiba reminding Naruto about the puddings – the trio left.

The blond blinked with some confusion when Hayate entered. "What's up?"

"Your doctor said you're allowed to walk around a little", the man explained. "There's something I want to show you."

* * *

Finally – after preparing both of the teens for the encounter far longer than Iwashi would've liked – it was time for Iwashi and Yamato's nameless patients to meet.

There was a deep frown on Yamato's face while the man approached the redheaded teen's room, supporting his white haired, visibly frail patient as well as he could without touching. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Iwashi nodded, feeling determination traveling everywhere underneath his skin. "If I'm right, this might be something they both need desperately. If I'm not…" The man shrugged and sighed, glancing towards the dull-eyed teen. "Then at least we've tried."

Yamato nodded rather stiffly, seeming far from reassured. "Then let's do this."

-

For the longest moment Kimimaro's hazy mind couldn't really understand what was going on, where he was being taken. Everything happened like in a movie of some sort to him.

Then, so suddenly that he flinched a step backwards and emitted a strange sound, he saw what, or whom, he'd been brought to see.

The red haired figure – a boy, something inside the murk of his head whispered – was so badly battered that the face was barely recognizable underneath all the bandages.

He found it hard to breathe all of a sudden.

So many wounds… So much damage…

He felt a hand hovering nearby, and was beyond glad it didn't touch him. "It's okay. We can go away if you want to."

He barely heard the sentences, because all his senses became blocked by an overwhelming sensation of recognition.

Before he could do a thing to stop himself he was moving.

-

Hiwashi and Yamato nearly held their breaths as they observed the situation unfolding.

They watched with silent admiration and wonder when instead of running away or doing something brash the white haired first approached slowly, then visibly braced himself and crawled into the bed with careful motions, laying as close to the redhead as possible.

At first Yamato moved one step forth – there was no telling where this situation could lead – but frowned and froze when facing his colleague's shake of head. "What are you doing?"

Instead of offering words Iwashi nodded forth with an expression he couldn't read. He nearly gasped when turning his head and noticing what the other had been gesturing towards.

It lasted for only a millisecond, and it was extremely frail, but it could nonetheless be seen.

Under the other teen's gentle hand the redhead's fingers twitched.

* * *

In all honesty, Naruto didn't have any idea what to expect while he followed Hayate with a lot of effort, almost quirked an eyebrow when noticing to which ward they'd ended up.

_ICU for newborns?_

He blinked with surprise. "Huh…?"

Hayate opened a door for him, a strange look on his face. "Go ahead and enter."

For some reason he hesitated at first, but in the end walked in anyhow. He blinked several times when facing two babies and incubators, and couldn't help wondering what was going on.

-

As ever so often, Hayate felt almost breathless when stood before the babies, once again facing harsh facts. He didn't manage to look towards Naruto. "Those… are my little girls, Naruto."

The blond looked at him, he could tell, emitting something like. "Woah!" It took a while before the boy dared to add more. "Congratulations, I guess."

He just couldn't help smiling, which was a welcomed change after all the tears he'd been forced to hold back lately. "Thanks."

They stood in silence for a while, neither of them sure how to go on, until Naruto spoke. "I… don't mean to be rude, or anything – I'm glad you wanted me to meet them. But… Why did you ask me to come here?"

He suppressed a sigh. "Life and fate are fickle things, Naruto. And…" He grit his teeth and coughed twice. "Most often they're not in our control." He finally looked towards the teen, who seemed confused. "But you still have the liberty to choose what you do with Sasuke, to try and change things." He smiled when meeting a flash of fright in those blue eyes, then coughed again. "I understand it's going to be hard, but I know you have what it takes to prove him it's worth it."

The boy blinked at him. "How can you be so sure, after everything…?"

He had to fight back a grin. "Because otherwise we wouldn't have chosen you to be the godfather of these little angels."

At first Naruto simply gawked, then gasped, and before he knew it he'd been wrapped into a tight, enormous hug. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

He merely chuckled, then coughed. "You're very welcome, Naruto. I take that as you accept the task." He quirked an eyebrow when noticing that the teen was on his way towards the room's door. "Now where are you going?"

The boy breathed hard, he could tell, while all but limping away. "To… see Sasuke."

As soon as the boy had left he dared to smile a little. So seeing the little girls had ended up having exactly the effect he'd been hoping – now he could only wish everything would start working out.

* * *

It took much longer than Naruto would've liked before he was finally in Sasuke's room, after first having to search everywhere for someone who was kind enough to tell him the room's number. And yet when he did enter, a huge part of him wished he'd never come.

He didn't know what he'd been expecting, especially after Sakura's rather careful description of Sasuke's condition. But what he found was just about too much for him.

The doctors had finally started waking Sasuke up a couple of days earlier, so – as he reminded himself not to panic – the boy was still and had his eyes closed only because of harsh pain medication or mere fatigue. But all those wounds – covering pretty much every part of the uncomfortably pale skin he could see – along with still dark bruises, almost completely bandaged head and all those other injuries he knew to be there made it almost impossible for him to breathe normally. And the worst part was the long, deep scar that ran all the way down the other side of the Uchiha's face; a forever reminder of how high the price of his secrets had turned out to be.

So he'd… done this?

He must've been very brave or a masochist, because instead of walking away he kept approaching, managed to sit unsteadily into the chair placed beside the Uchiha's bed.

He swallowed thickly, not sure where he should begin when everything was so wrong and twisted. "I… I just…" He took a deep breath, his hands squirming helplessly. "I know it doesn't mean much, but I really am sorry, okay? I… I never meant to cause this, any of this. And…" He chewed the inner side of his cheek, his eyes burning on the verge of flowing over. He barely remembered what he'd been supposed to say. "Just… Just get better soon, okay?" His throat turned tight, and two tears escaped. "Please."

He jumped on his seat when feeling a touch on his shoulder. Turning his gaze, he felt everything inside him grow cold and tense as he met Itachi's exhausted face.

"Are you alright?" the older male asked after a couple of moments' silence.

He blinked with stun. Why was Itachi worried about him – didn't the raven know what he'd done to Sasuke?

In the end he reacted like a scared five-year-old when realizing they'd done something wrong. At first his eyes blurred, then overflowed, and in the end nothing could hold him back. "I… I really hurt him", he managed, his voice carrying an almost heartbreaking side tone. He couldn't look towards either one of the brothers, so he focused his eyes on the floor. "He trusted me, and I just… I went and…" He couldn't even say it.

Everything was still and quiet while he sat there, allowing emotions to overtake him. Then – so suddenly that he jumped and gasped – a hand was laid to his shoulder again. Lifting his gaze with some nervousness, he was baffled when meeting eyes that weren't angry or blaming, instead almost understanding. "Naruto… People are prone to making mistakes, and yours was a pretty big one. But… I can tell you care about my brother too much to do something like this to him intentionally. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Those words – actually kind and sympathetic – made something inside him shift rather uncomfortably, and he sucked in a slightly shuddering breath. Several seconds flew by before he managed to speak. "Thanks", was all he could muster.

"Hmm." Itachi flashed a one more, slightly tired smile at him. "Now go to bed and get some sleep, okay? I'm sure you shouldn't be running around already." The older male glanced towards Sasuke. "I'll… tell my brother you stopped by."

In an instant he felt a pang, and looked away while getting up slowly. "I'm… pretty sure he wouldn't want me here."

Had he looked, he might've seen Itachi smile faintly again. "Let's let him decide that."

If he muttered words of parting he didn't know while making his way out of the room as fast as possible.

He'd faced what he'd been dreading for days already, done _this_. So why wasn't he feeling any better?

-

As soon as Naruto had left Itachi sighed inwardly before looking towards Sasuke, disregarding the fact that he couldn't see. "He's gone now."

It took a while, but eventually he heard a sound of the boy moving.

He went on after a couple of moments. "You really should talk with him – this isn't doing any good to either one of you. You should've at least let me tell him you've asked about him."

When there was still no response he suppressed a sigh and got up. "I'll give you a moment alone. I need to go and see how Hinata's doing. Just…" He held a tiny pause when hearing his brother shift again. "… Think about it, okay?"

He was almost by the doorway when he heard the faintest of responses. "Fine."

As soon as he got out of the room he finally sighed and shook his head a little, feeling very tired all of a sudden.

His brother could be infuriatingly stubborn at times.

About ten minutes later, after following tracks that'd become very familiar to him during the past days, he sensed Hinata's presence while stepping into a hallway.

He frowned. Something felt wrong. "Are you okay?"

Hinata's mother had already died straight after the accident, before the ambulance had even arrived. If…

The wrenching sound soon erupting confirmed all his fears. "H – Hanabi, she… Her heart, it just… it didn't last any longer." That awful sound erupted thrice more. "She… She told me to go and get coffee, and…" With that, apparently, she fell apart completely.

Not finding anything else he could've possibly done he simply held her as she sobbed inconsolably. For once he was almost glad he couldn't see.

Somehow he had a bad feeling that this was only just the beginning of something much worse…

* * *

**_Five Days Later._**

* * *

Although he'd only been a principal for a couple of months, there'd already been several occasions when Hatake Kakashi had regretted his choice of a career path. That day one more of such dawned after a seemingly harmless knock on his office door.

He'd never wanted to hurt someone as badly as he did when meeting Zaku's infuriatingly smug face. "You wanted to see me?"

It'd taken all this time before he'd dared to call the brat to meet him – before, he might've done something he wouldn't have even regretted. "Yes." That was definitely a hiss. "There are some… recent events we need to talk about."

Zaku merely shrugged, not even a single trace of emotions showing. "Oh." The boy folded his arms while sitting. "So, what's up?"

It was that comment – such indifference – that made Kakashi _snap_. He felt everything inside him burn while his eyes narrowed. "You've been torturing Naruto through the entire school year for idiotic reasons! Because of your stunt it's next to impossible for him to come back to school – you've made life a nightmare to him! He and Sasuke could've…!" He had to breathe twice before he managed to go on. "I don't think you even _understand_ what could've happened."

Ah, now he finally got a reaction. Fear flashed on Zaku's face, though for only a millisecond. "What… are you gonna do to me?"

His eyes narrowed even further while he fought to keep himself from attacking the teen. "Although I'd very much like to, I can't have you expelled. However, there is quite a bit I _can_ do…"

The way Zaku's face blanched gave him far more pleasure than it should've.

* * *

That evening Sasuke was just dozing off while watching TV when there was a knock on the door of his hospital room.

His eyebrows furrowed while he turned his gaze. This wasn't Itachi, or Sakura. So who the heck…? "Yeah?"

His heart didn't seem to quite know what to do when he discovered that the arrival was none other than Naruto, who had an extremely hesitant look on his face. "Hey." The boy swallowed rather hard. "I just… I'm probably getting discharged today, so…"

He nodded, figuring that it was a safe way to start since he didn't have a clue what to do when one half of him wanted to hug the blond and the other to kick the boy out.

He wasn't sure if his tongue was in his control or not when he spoke. "What are you doing here?" He sounded slightly harsher than he'd first indented.

For some reason it hurt him to see how Naruto flinched before creating a remarkably believable, yet feeble grin and sitting to his bedside. "I just… I wanted to see you, okay? If you… let me stay."

Suppressing a sigh was a hard task. He could tell coming to see him wasn't easy for Naruto, and despite everything that'd happened he felt a twinge inside when seeing the obvious signs of tremendous guilt and sleepless nights. Suddenly it was almost impossible not to offer words of consolation and wrap a pair of arms around the blond, but he soon steeled himself.

He was far from ready to trust, to let Naruto less than an arm's length away. He still needed to _think_.

"Sasuke?" There was a frown on Naruto's face. "Are you okay?"

It took a moment before he was able to nod convincingly and look away from the other. Suddenly whatever crap he'd been supposedly watching just didn't feel captivating enough, so he turned off the TV, let his eyes linger on the black screen that showed a faint reflection of them.

Neither one of the silhouettes moved for a long time.

-

Patience had never been one of Naruto's virtues, and after three minutes of utter silence he just couldn't restrain himself anymore. He glanced towards the raven beside him, who remained stiff and still as a stone. He fumbled for words, not sure how to start. "What are you thinking about?"

The Uchiha sighed just a little and shook his head, appearing tired. "Nothing in particular." He wondered just how truthful that statement was.

He nodded, not knowing what else to do, and glanced towards Sasuke's hand. It seemed so very alluring when resting there right before him, but he knew even the merest of brushes would make it transform into a steel hard ball.

"So… What now?" The words escaped without the slightest bit of control, before he could even suspect them coming. His voice was so frail that it infuriated him. "What's gonna happen?" 'To us', was something he didn't dare to add, but he had a feeling Sasuke heard it anyway.

Right now everything was up in the air, twisted and confusing. He needed to know if there was any hope left, if…

Sasuke didn't look at him, didn't even let him see his face. "I… don't know", came after a silence that nearly suffocated him.

He swallowed thickly against the bitter taste of disappointment, and fought to keep his eyes from blurring. He'd known to expect this much, no? "'K", he barely breathed out, not daring to move although he would've wanted more than anything to touch the Uchiha, to make sure…

After gathering himself for a tiny moment he finally managed to look at the raven again, a new kind of a spark waking up inside him. There was something he should do as the first step.

He outstretched a slightly trembling hand towards the other, earning a suspicious look. "I'm Naruto", he stated in a voice that wasn't quite like his. "Naruto Na… Uzumaki. Naruto Uzumaki."

Sasuke seemed slightly confused, and for a while he was sure his gesture would be rejected. That's why his heart jumped with hope when the Uchiha's hand wrapped around his after a long hesitation. "Sasuke Uchiha."

The silence that followed wasn't quite as heavy as the one before it, and Naruto's whole chest seemed to be fluttering.

They were still at the very beginning of everything, had miles to cover – that was, if Sasuke would even ever want to take that path with him again. But somehow things didn't seem as dark as before anymore, because now there was a dawning trace of a possible second chance.

And this time around he'd do things right, if he'd get the chance to try.

The time of masquerades was _over_.

* * *

TBC, right?

* * *

A/N: (To those wondering… It indeed never was explained if it was the car of Hinata's mother and Hanabi that collided with the cab, although all signs do suggest that way; I'm not sure how relevant that is, but if ya guys want me to I can unfold it in the next chappy.)

Oh dear… There's a long way for our lovely boneheads to go, but at least that was a start, ne? Let's hope nothing more shows up to interfere… (sweatdrops)

IN THE NEXT ONE: Return to the school. Also, the schoolyear ends and difficult decisions are made...

Awkay, because I doubt I'd have much time on a computer left I'm starting to tune out, but before that… PLEASE, do leave a review! Awww, I know ya want to… (shows all kinds of bribe treats)

Only two more to go!  
Until next time, folks – 'hope ya'll all join in then!

Peace out!

* * *

**c****olgate**: What have I done indeed! (winces) Those poor things…!

(chuckles) What else can I do after such persuasion but to speed of to type?

Gigantic thank yous for the review!

'Hope ya'll stay tuned.

-

**lalala**: Picking up indeed! (sweatdrops, and chuckles)

The best one yet? HOORAY! (jumps with joy like a goofball) Now THAT is a joy to hear!

Colossal thank yous for the lovely review!

Until next time, no?


	13. July

A/N: (grins) Guess who's back again, folks? You know, this chappy was a bit of a 'difficult child' (unlucky number thirteen, obviously…), and I've also had huge troubles with getting to spend time on a computer, so you can't even imagine how happy I am there wasn't a oversized gap of updates. (beams)

First off, thank you from the deepest bottoms of my heart for all those amazing reviews! (glomps) You've not only made my day, but ya also helped A LOT with plotting together this chappy. So thank you!

Awkay, because I'm in a HUGE hurry, I really should rush on. I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy your stay with the chappy!

* * *

CHAPTER 13: July

* * *

By the time the summer vacation was about to start in a couple of days, Sasuke had already been released from the hospital. It'd been a taunting task to catch up everyone else to make sure he graduated with them, especially because the harsh medication he was still on made him tired, but with Sakura as his tutor he managed in the end. His body was healing slowly yet surely, apart from some scars that'd never fade, and he wasn't… feeling funny anymore, which was how a psychiatrist had managed to force him to describe his feelings not long after his father had been arrested.

Now all there was left to do was to sort out his mess with Naruto – and honestly, he had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to do that.

He… cared about the Na… Uzumaki (as he quickly corrected himself) very, very much; he didn't feel like living in the land of illusions and denial anymore. And a part of him would've wanted to just forget about everything, to keep going from to where they'd once crash-landed. But this tiny, annoyingly stubborn reasonable part of his brain reminded him that they'd have to _talk_, and sadly they both seemed to be very bad at that. His new, scarred face, as well as the whispers and weird looks of people he could take, but the standstill between him and Naruto was driving him insane.

They'd managed to make a whole list of rules to define their new relationship, but that was pretty much it. Sure enough, they were able to chat; it looked like every single teacher had wanted to pair them up during the past few days, and they'd done an ungodly amount of projects together. But other times… Gosh, all those painfully awkward attempts of making a conversation and other occasions when neither of them knew how to be around the other…! He didn't understand how it was possible to want someone gone and to want them _much_ closer at the same time like he did. Sometimes he felt like slamming his head to a brick wall to keep his brain from exploding.

"You're making even my head hurt, you know?"

He gave Sakura a dry look. "Stop analyzing me", he grunted, perhaps more harshly than he'd been supposed to.

The pinkette rolled her eyes, then sighed heavily. "Sasuke… I know you're afraid that he'll hurt you again – you don't even have to admit it out loud. But you should know that he's also scared to death, of losing you, because you mean to him more than _anything_. I think he might even _love_ you – or actually, I _know_ he does." Her eyes flashed. "I want you to keep that in mind."

He frowned and opened his mouth, but just then the bell rang for their second class, wiping away all his thoughts. "Hn", was what he produced in the end.

Sakura's smile revealed she understood what he'd been supposed to say better than he did. She got up, starting to leave. "Just go to your class, will you? And don't you dare forget what I just said."

* * *

Already so far, before the lunchtime, the last school day had been atypically quiet for the familiar group; even Kiba, their loudmouth, had said barely a word all day.

After this they'd all take separate paths. Of course they'd still remain in contact, but that was hardly the same thing as meeting face to face every day. Things were about to change dramatically, and all they could do was hope for the best.

"So…", Naruto finally started, glancing towards Sakura, who was sitting beside him with a far away look on her face. "When did your flight take off again?" The blond's expression and tone suggested he'd been seeing his newly appointed therapist too much during the past few weeks.

The schools wouldn't start again for a while, but she – having been accepted to study to become a doctor – was already leaving. After all, as she'd put it, she had nothing left to stay for.

She most likely barely heard him, but managed to respond anyhow. "I'm… leaving straight after school." Judging by her expression it was still very hard for her to accept those facts.

"We'll miss you." Almost shocked, everyone turned their gaze towards Shino, who'd said those words. The sunglass-eyed boy snorted. "What? So I'm not allowed to say something nice every once in a while?"

Kiba shook his head after a moment's shock. "You, are a weird guy."

Naruto had to fight back a chuckle, which had been very rare as of lately and felt very good. Perhaps the therapy _was_ working after all, although he still had his doubts.

Just then Shikamaru winced when noticing someone, and got up amazingly abruptly. "I'm taking a hike." So saying the brunette was off.

Only seconds later Ino – Shikamaru's ex, Naruto remembered only then – was stood by them, giving the blond a somewhat weird look before focusing firmly on the others. "So… There's this party in the school this evening. Are you going to join in?"

Shino shook his head in an instant, whereas Kiba snorted. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Seeming annoyed, Ino turned towards Sakura. "What about you?"

Sakura seemed to swallow thickly, not looking at the blonde. "I… don't think so." All of a sudden the pinkette was in a huge hurry to leave. "I've gotta go." In fact, the girl was going already.

After watching Sakura's distancing back for a couple of seconds Ino left as well, muttering something incoherent.

Naruto wasn't sure why his stomach felt as funny as it did when he realized that he hadn't been invited, and probably never would be.

He jumped when feeling a hand on his shoulder. Kiba's grin was a supportive one. "Hey, chin up. Who cares about that bitch, anyway?"

He couldn't help smiling. Just then he noticed something that made his stomach flip around and his heart race. Sasuke entered the huge room, and after some moments their eyes met.

Things were still very unsteady, and he couldn't help wondering…

Very cautiously, knowing that the only way to know was to try, he lifted his hand for a seemingly casual greeting. At first everything was painfully still, but in the end the Sasuke responded with a nod before carrying on his way. For the first time in a while there was no tension between them.

His smile from before widened still.

Perhaps there was some hope left in the world, after all.

"That can be considered progress, I suppose", Shino mused out loud beside him.

"Yup." His eyes then moved towards Neji, who was sitting nearby and whom Sakura had been practically staring at before leaving. And he knew he'd need to do something to repay everything she'd done for him. "Guys, I've gotta go. See you later."

After rather absentminded responses he moved. Neji gave him a mildly surprised look when he stood before the boy. "We need to talk."

Neji's nod was stiff. "Yes?"

He took a deep breath before starting. "Look… I know you've got a lot on your mind, but…" All words came to a halt, and he winced inwardly at his limited talking skills. "I know she did wrong, but she really loves you, and you're tearing her to pieces, okay? She's also leaving today, so… Pretty soon it's too late to sort things out." He took a deep breath. "Think about that, before you let her go." With that he walked away, hoping with his all that his rambling hadn't fallen on deaf ears.

* * *

Itachi had been through a fair share of funerals, including the one of his mother's. That's why the ceremony itself was no mystery to him. But that didn't make enduring that day any easier.

It was the day Hinata's sister was buried, after all investigations had finally been laid to rest. The death of such a young, gifted person had shocked the entire village, but none of the people crowding the small chapel cried as hard as the practically shattered being in his arms.

Itachi's unseeing eyes were even darker than usual while he simply held her while she cried hysterically. All the while he was much too aware of the fact that it might be the last time he was allowed to touch her.

Straight after the ceremony Hinata and her father would leave for a trip around Europe; Hiashi claimed it was necessary for his daughter's recovery, but Itachi had strong suspicions that it was only because of the man and his guilt. He, on the other hand, was going to Tokyo, which was something he hadn't told the girl about yet; a few days ago he'd received a phone call from a doctor who claimed it might be possible to get his sight back. He knew it was farfetched, and much too expensive, but he just couldn't let such an opportunity pass.

Now all he wished was to get to see Hinata's face, for even once.

He jerked a little when realizing that the ceremony was in fact over, and everyone was leaving. Suppressing a sigh, he placed his arms even more tightly around Hinata to pull her close. Only a couple of minutes left together… "Let's go." His voice was far softer than the usual, almost frail. "It's over now. Everything's okay."

After only a little bit hesitation Hinata followed him, snuggled as close to him as humanly possible and filled him with her familiar scent and essence that made his eyes sting. If only…

"Come on, Hinata." Hiashi's voice sounded harsh and gruff. "We need to go."

He could feel the girl's eyes on him. "But…" She trailed off.

It took his all to fake on the frailest of smiles. "It's alright", he murmured, holding her hand without hesitation although he felt her father looking. Gosh, how he would've wanted to see her face, for just this one time…! "We already found each other once, didn't we? We'll do it again."

Hinata was still and soundless for so long that he started worrying, then did the about last thing he'd expected. He gasped faintly when her lips found his, sealing him into the most passionate kiss he'd ever received. Straight after that her hand slipped from his, and it felt like she'd disappeared from him already. "I'm so sorry." He hoped he would've managed to read her tone. With that her steps started to distance, and after a couple of moments he heard the doors of a car closing.

It wasn't until what must've been at least half an hour later he managed to turn around and start his lonely walk away. Moving had never hurt him as much as it did then.

* * *

That day, Naruto's eyes widened with surprise before he broke into an enormous grin when Hayate entered the break room he'd disappeared into to sort out his head. "Hey!" He then tried to read the other's eyes. "How… are the twins?"

To his enormous relief the man gave a smile that finally reached his eyes. "They're doing very well right now. Aika will still need her surgery, but otherwise we're hopeful. But now…" The man pulled out an envelope while coughing. "I… came to bring you this."

Frowning a little, he accepted the envelope, starting to open it as soon as he got it. "What…?" All words got stuck in his throat when he met the contents.

It was… an acceptance letter, to an excellent university nearby Konoha. An invitation to study literature.

"I took the liberty to send a teacher I know very well some of your writings. He called me as soon as he'd read them." He could feel Hayate looking at him while the man coughed. "You don't have to accept the position, of course, but…"

The man didn't get to say anything more, because at that moment he finally reacted. He heard a gasp and two coughs when he enclosed the brunette into a bear hug, tears of immense happiness rolling. "Thank you", was absolutely all he could say. "Thank you so much!"

All of a sudden his future – something he'd for a long time thought he didn't even have – looked very, very bright.

-

Hayate smiled while hugging the teen back.

He didn't think he'd ever met anyone who would've deserved a new beginning this much. He could only hope _this_ new chance would be more merciful on the poor blond…

* * *

Sakura felt extremely cold while approaching her seat in the plain, her thoughts spinning around madly.

So… this was it. She was leaving Konoha behind after having dreamed about it for so many years. She was leaving behind a whole life, all her friends, so many memories. She was finally starting the process of growing up.

So why didn't she feel ecstatic, or even good?

The answer was almost pathetically easy to figure out, she finally came to realize.

The picture of Neji's face still slashed deeply when entering her mind, and she was forced to grit her teeth.

To hell with him, she finally managed to tell herself oh so valiantly. If he judged her like that because of a secret, then perhaps…

She didn't even know _what_ anymore. She was sick of thinking.

Just then she reached her seat – and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she saw a familiar person occupying the seat next to hers.

Sure, he looked far more tired than usual, but was very much recognizable nonetheless.

Her voice was nothing but a wheeze. "Neji…?" What the hell was going on?

She wished she could've read the boy's expression when he looked at her after a moment. "I hope you don't mind, but I figured I could take the same flight."

At that moment she did something that'd been a struggle for a while. She smiled, truly and genuinely. "No, I don't mind."

* * *

Naruto's stomach was hurting for some reason while he made his way through the school's hallways, painfully aware of the fact that now he was as far from invisible as it got.

It was amusing in a bitter way that it was something he'd wanted once.

Just then a rather large sized guy he'd never even met before was stood directly before him, giving him a look that made him want to shrink into a tiny ball. The teen's arms were folded, and nose wrinkled. "What – are you actually planning on showing up in the party?" There was a dirty snort. "Dream on, freak."

He grit his teeth, determined not to show any hurt. "I'm only returning some books and papers, okay? So leave me alone."

The boy snorted. "Oh, like you left your parents alone, freak?" Tiny pig's eyes flashed hazardously while a fist was lifted against him. "I knew you were no good news since you arrived. Now it's time to teach you a little lesson…"

Just then an extremely harsh voice stopped the huge teen, a mere second before the fist would've met his face. "Leave him the fuck alone."

His heart jumped – that voice he recognized very, very well. Turning around slowly, afraid he wouldn't find the one he wanted to, he had to fight back a huge grin when seeing Sasuke there with smouldering onyx eyes.

So he did still matter something to the Uchiha, after all.

For just a moment the teen threatening him opened his mouth and balled his fists again – as though preparing to continue the fight – but in the end emitted what sound like a bark that included words 'fucking scar face' and 'faggot', then turned sharply and walked away.

As soon as the teen had disappeared – muttering something incoherent under his breath – Sasuke walked up to him, something he almost wished to be worry on his face. "Are you okay?"

He opened his mouth, only to discover that no words came. The situation was just too surreal.

He shivered faintly with what can only be called pleasure when Sasuke took his hand. "Come on." The boy's eyes were unreadable. "Let's get the hell out of here, okay?"

He was more than willing to follow the Uchiha.

They held hands all the way to Sasuke's house.

* * *

A sensation of threat woke up Kimimaro, who'd once again been spending time in Gaara's room, that evening long before he even heard the tone that made his blood turn cold. "Hello there." His eyes widening slightly with fear he lifted his gaze to meet the speaker, an old man he'd never met before. "You were a bit hard to find, although I probably should've known to look for you from your pathetic friend."

He moved so that he was shielding Gaara, which only made the unfamiliar man laugh in a way that chilled him even further. "There's no need for that – he's already harmless, there's no point in doing anything to him. You, on the other hand…" The man's eyes gleamed while the older male pulled out a needle and walked up to him faster than he could react. "… are a dangerous witness. You need to be dealt with."

He wished dearly his reflexes and strength had been enough, but he'd spent such a long time not eating and moving that he could barely even walk. That's why he had no chance of stopping the man before the needle had already pierced his skin.

The man sneered. "Don't worry – this may be painful, but it won't take long before all your pain and sorrow will be swept away. Just go to sleep."

Most likely reacting to the nearly animalistic scream he'd given before the needle's content had even been pushed into him, a female nurse he'd never seen before burst in. Her eyes flashed when she noticed the man, and what was going on. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

A hellish searing sensation traveled through him, along with fright making him scream again – in a choked manner this time – when the man's eyes gleamed, and the older male was already dashing towards the unsuspecting nurse. "I'm leaving."

Before the poor nurse could even react she was flying, and a sickening sound erupted when she hit the floor, then remained there, completely still.

The man gave him a one more, strange look that seemed to hold a lot more than it was probably supposed to. "You should've just obeyed, kid. It would've never come to this." With that the man left without looking back.

He didn't remember ever feeling as scared as he did when the medication swept him from his feet only a couple of seconds later, and he stumbled to the floor right next to the nurse, his head spinning and everything starting to turn blurry, surreal. In that moment of despair he lifted his gaze, and a burst of something barely human filled him when he looked at Gaara's face. And against all odds he started to move, although every single motion brought unimaginable pain.

It took far more strength than he should've had and a lot more time than would've been wise to waste, but eventually he'd made – crawled – his way all the way to the redhead's bed, climbed next to the one person he remembered ever caring about. He had no idea where such a burst of strength came from, but he just managed to wheeze out a name. "Gaara…"

The sleeping boy, of course, didn't react, couldn't hear him from whatever the fog the teen had gotten lost into. And suddenly he felt more alone than ever before. (He might've felt a little less lonely and hopeless if he'd been able to lift his gaze and noticed how on a screen Gaara's vitals speeded up rapidly.)

He would've closed his eyes if he'd dared to. Breathing hurt, moving hurt, _everything_ hurt so much that he would've desperately wanted to scream.

He looked towards Gaara's face once more, so much fear and sorrow in his barely seeing eyes that it would've been painful for anyone to watch. "I…" Even if he'd still had his voice, he wouldn't have known what to say so he merely wheezed, his eyes blurring with the medication and something else. It was at that moment even the last of his strength slipped away.

Giving a rather loud, desperate moan he snuggled closer to the redhead's warmth, trying to hold the boy's hand although he knew he wouldn't be able to do so anymore.

_I'm sorry._

All of a sudden his body was cold and heavy, and he was so tired that his eyes just wouldn't stay open anymore. His cheeks grew warm with something moist.

_I'm so sorry…_

His last coherent thought was that he felt his heart stop before everything exploded into a majestic white.

-

It was heartbreaking, really, that the same moment his eyes closed Gaara's eyes opened to meet a world that would never be the way he'd dreamt it to be anymore.

-

In the hallway Danzou froze for the smallest of seconds when hearing a wounded, nearly animalistic scream, but then went on as though nothing had ever happened.

Once outside he met Orochimaru, who had a look he considered dangerous on his face. "Well?"

He felt disgusted all of a sudden. "It's done", he snarled through grit teeth. "So you can stop pestering me already."

Orochimaru's eyes flashed devilishly in the light of a car passing by. "Very good." He was already walking away, thinking he was safe, when the man went on. "We'll talk about the rest of the payment arrangements soon enough."

When he finally got to his car he couldn't hold it down any longer. He leaned against the vehicle and threw up loudly, not even noticing the looks people passing by gave him.

* * *

Zaku had never been as furious as he was that day, while he stood on the side of Konoha's biggest road – the one leading out of the town he now officially labeled as the worst place he'd ever been in.

It wasn't enough that Kakashi had made him apologize to Naruto, and Sasuke as well, in front of everyone, and that he'd almost been arrested for stealing those stupid police documents. Now, it'd also been decided that he was basically kicked out of the town, and school; he'd been informed that morning that because of his grades he wouldn't graduate, and he'd complete the final year in his old hometown, where everyone hated him for what he'd done to Sasuke.

So, to put it short, his life was about to become living hell. And for the first time he wondered if it'd all been worth the price.

"You look lost."

The smooth voice caught him so off guard that he jumped before turning his gaze. He wondered when the rather old, black car had showed up right before him, carrying a man with long, black hair and the most chilling eyes he'd ever met.

He quirked an eyebrow. "Who the heck are you?"

The man shrugged, giving a smile that would've caused anyone but him creeps. "A friend. Call me Orochimaru." The man opened a car's door for him. "Do you need a ride?"

He had to fight against smiling.

Now how about this; perhaps luck hadn't turned its back on him, after all.

He shrugged and got in without any further hesitation. "I'm Zaku, by the way."

It was fortunate, perhaps, that he was too busy with his musings to notice the man's expression. "How very nice to meet you."

* * *

In the meantime Naruto and Sasuke had made their way into the raven's bedroom. A sensation of déjà vu crossed the blond while they sat to the raven's bed, just like they'd once been able to do without any discomfort.

To think how simple life had once been…

"I just… wanted to thank you, I guess", he started, working his hardest to set his word right. "For getting me away from that freak"

Sasuke shrugged, seeming somewhat thoughtful. "He was just getting on my nerves, too."

The situation – Sasuke so close and finally relaxed around him – felt so good that it took his all not to hug the raven. It took a while before his mouth agreed to work. "I just… I was wondering…" He licked his lips. "Do you want to go to that new café tomorrow? As friends, of course. It's no big deal, just…" He finally realized he was rambling, and forced his lips tightly together to keep more from coming.

Something that sounded like a groan erupted through Sasuke's throat. "We can't."

He was somewhat surprised by the fact that the refusal actually hurt physically. He could barely not bite his lip when looking towards the other. "Why not?"

Sasuke sighed heavily and looked away from him; obviously this was something the raven wouldn't have wanted to talk about. "Because I'm leaving, tomorrow morning."

And suddenly the world felt much colder than before. "What?"

"I'm leaving." This time, at very least, the boy looked at him with eyes he couldn't read. "Itachi… is going to get an operation in Tokyo, and he needs me. I'm going to start studying there."

Somehow, it felt like something had died just a little inside him, and his stomach twisted to knots. His eyes also felt uncomfortable.

He swallowed thickly, not sure what to think and feel. "But… Everything's gonna work out, right?" It was a hard task to meet Sasuke's eyes before he went on. "It's not like studies would take forever. We'll see each other soon."

Sasuke seemed to struggle between laughing and crying. "Dobe." Then – without a warning or any hesitation – the raven gave his lips a short kiss he could feel in every single part of his body. He wasn't sure what the look he met meant. "Don't look like that. The whole world won't end in a few years."

The sound that came from him was wet, which surprised him because he hadn't realized he was about to cry. He wrapped his arms tightly around the Uchiha, with that single motion trying to make sure the other knew letting go was the last thing he wanted to do. "I'll miss you", he murmured, hoping from the bottom of his heart the other believed him despite everything that had happened, despite the lies he'd told.

Sasuke seemed to debate for a moment, but in the end something seemed to soften in the boy's whole body. "Hn." In some other state of mind he might've heard the hidden 'I'll miss you, too'.

He felt something inside him shift uncomfortably. Was that really all he'd get, the final words of parting?

"Are you okay?"

So surprised he was by the question, that he didn't manage to react for a few moments. When he did he sounded like a five-year-old, even hiccupped. "No."

Did Sasuke actually dare to almost chuckle at him? The hand brushing his cheek rather cautiously made him forget easily, though. "Dobe." The raven sighed heavily, laying himself down to the bed. "You know… I'm not all that excited about meeting all those idiots at the party today, either." Coming from the Uchiha's mouth that was as good as an invitation to stay.

Restraining a grin that would've made him look like a total moron he lay down as well, careful not to touch Sasuke as he did so; that would've crossed every line they'd made for this new structure of a relationship.

If this was their final night together for several years, then he was dead set to make the best of it, to enjoy every moment of it, damn it.

It didn't take more than a few seconds before they'd fallen asleep, losing themselves into the sweet land of dreams.

(If Naruto hadn't put his cell phone to a silent mode, he might've woken up when it snapped to life late that night, marking the number as Deidara's.)

The next morning he woke up almost painfully alone and much too cold, and he wasn't sure why he wasn't more surprised than he was once discovering that Sasuke had disappeared. The only thing left behind was a necklace – a strange, silvery pendant that had tiny skates engraved to an oval-shaped background.

Through bitter tears he managed to smile just a little while wrapping his hand around the treasure.

(In his emotional turmoil he forgot to call Deidara back.)

* * *

Morning's mist had barely faded while Sasuke and Itachi approached the airport's gates that morning. To anyone who knew them the brothers were unusually quiet while making their journey; it was as though they would've been approaching the worst of all horrors.

"Are you sure that was the right way to leave things?" Itachi's voice managed to sound stern and soft at the same time. "He'll miss you, you know?"

"Hn." Truthfully, Sasuke had been feeling this strange ball in his stomach ever since he'd given Naruto a more glance and a light kiss before leaving the boy sleeping. Sensing Itachi's look he almost groaned. "I know what I'm doing, okay? So stop worrying."

Did his brother just sigh? "I really hope so, because I don't want you to live in remorse for the rest of your life."

He was so deep in thought that he barely heard his brother. He lifted his gaze towards the sky he could see through a window, watched how a plane rose high into the blue and white.

In this town, he was much too close to every single one of his painful memories to be able to think, to make _decisions_. So he'd leave now, for the sake of his barely intact sanity. He didn't know if he'd ever get better from the scars he'd received without Naruto, what'd happen next or even what he was really heading towards. But he _did_ know that he had to go. If destiny would lead him to the Uzumaki again… Then perhaps he wouldn't fight it that time around.

For the first time in his life he was leaving everything into the unsteady hands of fate.

* * *

TBC, for an epilogue.

* * *

A/N: (sniffs) Awww, man – poor Kimi-kun! And now those two are separated again! (sniffles some more) Some cruelty, ne?

Awkay, as said I'm in a hurry (heh, after the way I left this chappy I'm almost glad I am…), so I've gotta start tuning out. PLEASE, do leave review to let me know ya've visited, yeah? (glances with adorable puppy's eyes)

Until next time – and the FINAL chappy! (starts bawling) Man, I can't believe it's actually coming to an end!

Take care, un!


	14. Epilogue

A/N: My goodness… (lower jaw starts to tremble) Heh, I can't help it; starting the final opening AN is NEVER a joyride. (grins sheepishly, then sniffles a bit)

But, as per usual… MASSIVE thank yous for all those INCREDIBLE reviews you shipped for me – I could've NEVER imagined that this silly 'lil story would become this popular, so I'm baffled here! (tackles ya all to a hug) THANK YOU! As always, **responses to anonymous reviews** can be found from underneath the chappy, believe it.

Awkay, I better stop stalling the inevitable, ne? So let's ROCK – GOSH, how I hope you'll enjoy this final chappy! (jaws lip with nervousness)

* * *

CHAPTER 14: Epilogue

* * *

**_Twelve And A Half Years Later_**

* * *

**_Tokyo_**

* * *

A very much grown up Naruto's fingers danced on a keyboard as he wrote, in such a speed that suggested he was terrified the words would run away from him if he didn't write them fast enough.

'_The years after he left weren't easy. I started studying, even managed to get a relatively normal life in many ways although I was, of course, the youngest on my year class. But it wasn't as easy as I'd hoped to leave the past behind, especially without him by my side. There was a point in which I started having panic attacks. And now that all the therapy sessions I've had have brought those days back into my memory, I still have nightmares about the night when my parents were killed. Over the years I had to change my therapist twelve times before I found someone who I could actually talk to, but it paid off. I don't think anyone, even he with his departure and almost leaving me after that accident, has made me cry as much as my current therapist. I can't even describe how good I felt after the emotional turmoil of the first session faded, and I realized what was happening. I actually started feeling like a normal person little by little; my grades were by no means amazing on most classes, but good enough for me, and I got some new friends. I still write to my old teacher thrice a week, and over the years he's become something close to a second father to me._

_And over the years, I also found what I'd been waiting for so long._'

A huge grin appearing to his face, he glanced over his shoulder towards an enormous bed in which Sasuke was sleeping relatively soundly, with only a small frown suggesting that the raven was dreaming. Now, with the scarred side of the Uchiha's face turned towards the pillow, it was easy to forget all the hells of the man's past.

Sighing at the last thought, he turned back towards his laptop, and allowed his fingers to keep moving.

'_I didn't meet him, or even hear anything about him, until I finished my studies, and during the longest nights the pendant he'd left for me was my only comfort. I wasn't entirely hopeless, though, because after the last night and with the fact that he'd left a memento for me I knew I'd been at least somewhat forgiven. But nonetheless it was excruciating to wait and wonder, when he was the only thing I knew for sure I wanted, when even after the first three roughest years and some pretty good dates I just couldn't stop loving him – or being furious with him leaving. Things have never been black and white between us._

_It's hard to explain what I felt when I saw him for the first time in so many years, sitting in a park about two hours after the sunset. I'd never felt anything similar, anything as strong._

_I could've walked away, yelled at him although I'd deserved the pain his departure had brought, or I could've walked up to him and pretended that nothing had ever happened. Instead I all but ran to him, and before he'd probably even seen me I was kissing him so that soon enough neither of us had any oxygen left. All the while I held him as though fearing that even the slightest slip would mean that he was lost forever._

_That night, I made love for the first time in my life, in his home that was about to be sold. After a couple of hot hours we finally talked, about everything. It seems we love doing things the wrong way round._

_He didn't want to tell me much about the time we'd spent apart, but I got the picture that those years hadn't been easy for him, either. He'd changed a lot from that angry, self-destructive ice prince he once was, but I could tell he hadn't let go of all those wounds he'd received. To be honest, I don't think he'll ever be able to let go completely, but I've learned to accept that fact. I can take the many bad days for the sake of all those good ones we have more often than not. And he wouldn't be the person I fell in love with without his rough edges. Of course he still drives me crazy sometimes, but he's already changed a lot, and I know he's happy – his eyes tell me so, even though his words can't. That's more than good enough for me._'

* * *

Sasuke frowned, still not opening his eyes, when something rather warm and moist brushed his cheek. His drowsy mind couldn't figure out what was happening at first, and he prepared for a violent reaction before hearing a familiar, very soothing voice. "I'm sorry to wake you up, but it's already a bit late. We've gotta get going soon."

He groaned, not exactly wanting to open his eyes.

He heard a chuckle that felt almost as good as a caress. There was another kiss, this time to his nose. "Oh, don't you dare try that game with me, Uchiha."

Sasuke's muscles moved surprisingly fast, considering the fact that he'd just woken up. Naruto made a sound of mild startle when he flipped them so that the blond was resting beneath him. He could tell his eyes flashed while he looked into those once oh-so-innocent blue orbs. "Are you still sure we have to leave immediately?" he questioned huskily.

All of a sudden the fact that he hadn't even brushed his teeth wasn't all that important.

Neighbours most likely became disturbed by the sounds they made.

* * *

Hinata knew most people were excited on the morning of their wedding day. That's why she couldn't understand why she was almost in tears while standing outside a church, as though waiting.

Of course she loved her husband to be – she would've never agreed to marry him otherwise. But… Her head was just too fuzzy.

Perhaps this was just the usual bride's nervousness – there didn't have to be anything more horrible going on. In half an hour she'd be someone's wife, and they'd laugh together at her giddiness. This was the way things were supposed to be.

Just then the wind seemed to carry something into her ears, because all of a sudden she lifted her gaze – and breathing became very, very hard.

For there, on a tiny path that led away from the graveyard, walked Itachi Uchiha, and she could've sworn he looked at her for just a moment although she knew it to be impossible. Her heart nearly stopped while she kept all but staring at him. She even took a small step closer, momentarily forgetting _everything_, until her mind forced her to halt.

It'd been well over twelve years – back then they'd been very young, completely different people. They probably wouldn't know each other anymore, especially with how short their time together had been. Now… Now, it was time to act like adults. It was time to let go of childish fairytales, no matter how much it'd hurt, she decided while bringing a hand to her for the time being flat stomach.

A bitter taste filled her mouth, and her eyes felt uncomfortably hot while she balled her fist.

_I'm so sorry._

Her chest had never hurt the way it did when she turned around – turning her back on something she would've desperately wanted – and started to walk away, towards something she didn't even know of. She did her best to come up with plausible excuses when guests asked her why she was in tears all of a sudden.

-

What she couldn't have possibly known, was that Itachi's eyes hadn't been as blind as she'd thought.

Everything inside the raven was whirling around and sizzling while he stood still for a while, his feet dangerously unsteady and his mind even more so. He didn't remember many occasions when it would've hurt as much as it did then.

He'd finally seen Hinata's face, and oddly enough she'd looked exactly the way he'd thought she would. Not that her appearances would've made much difference at the moment.

An extremely sad smile rose to his face as he watched how she walked away, towards a life he'd never be a part of. For a couple of moments he felt almost unbearable urge to follow her – to stop what was inevitably about to happen – but in the end, defying everything inside him, he turned around and started to walk towards the opposite direction with heavy steps.

They'd both be happy, just not with each other.

He had to believe that for the sake of his sanity.

* * *

**_Konoha_**

* * *

From a small, beautiful tree a tiny bird watched as a lone figure made his way towards a particular tombstone, with an expression any being could easily recognize as that of anguish. Each step seemed heavy and laboured, all the way until they came to a sudden halt.

Gaara's legs – which still hurt whenever rain fell, reminding him of what once happened – trembled while he knelt to a tombstone, his thoughts whirring with such a speed that he couldn't determine what exactly he was feeling. His eyes stung, and he had a feeling that it had nothing to do with the sleepless night before or even the sunlight wrapping stubbornly around him.

_Kimimaro_, his brain just managed to register.

He swallowed thickly, unsure as to how he should start something this painful. "I… came to bring you some flowers – I still remember how much you always loved flowers. And…" He took a deep breath, not entirely sure how to go on. "I just… It feels good to show you that someone still thinks of you down here, too." His jaw tightened under everything he was trying to hold back. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you." In some other situation the apology might've felt uneasy in his mouth, but now…

He waited for a couple of moments before going on. "I know I should've visited you earlier, but… It's not easy to see…" He gestured towards the stone. " …_this_." He forced his expression into a more positive one, although his insides _hurt_. He took a deep breath, determined to say what he was about to. "I'm… okay, you know? I have… scars, and talking, reading and learning new things is difficult, but I can live and move on my own. I could've never imagined how much of a privilege that is. But…" He caressed the stone with his fingertips, his throat choked. " … I'd want to face it all with you. I miss you. And…" He swallowed, his throat feeling inhumanly dry and tight before an injustice like this. " … I really hope you're finally happy, wherever you are."

He must've been absolutely still for several minutes before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Lifting his gaze, he met Deidara's uncharacteristically soft expression. The blond clearly knew this was no joyride for him. "Ready to go?"

He nodded, not wanting to speak because his tone would've given him away, and followed along as the other started a journey towards the blue car waiting for them.

Sasori, who was sitting behind the steering wheel, gave them a somewhat dry look as they hopped in and sat down. "So you're done?"

Deidara seemed to roll his eyes while kissing the redhead. "Oh, shut it."

A stab that had nothing to do with jealousy crossed Gaara while he watched the two start out their usual bickering that seemed more like a foreplay – with Deidara, purposely or not, annoying Sasori, and the redhead responding with grumpy remarks. With all the rehabilitation and recovering – mentally and physically – he hadn't had the time to even think about starting a romantic relationship. Even if he'd wanted to, that is – after what he'd had with Kimimaro, with all the memories and feelings that just wouldn't go away or even grow dimmer…

Giving a sigh the couple on the front seats couldn't hear, he lifted his gaze towards the car's roof. And suddenly he could've sworn he felt a touch on his hand. Mildly startled, he turned his gaze, only to find an empty seat. But it was nonetheless hard to hold back a tiny, frail smile.

Nothing would ever erase the ache inside him. But… He was getting better, slowly yet surely, and he had his friends – Naruto, in another city but still there, Deidara and even Sasori. He had _hope_.

Maybe, just maybe, that'd be enough for now.

-

Still sitting on a tree branch, the bird gave a surprisingly strong chirp before rising to its wings and disappearing into the sunlight.

* * *

**_Tokyo_**

* * *

Naruto was mildly out of breath from all the running he'd done when he rushed into a huge gym hall's audience, looking a bit like a lightning bolt as he went.

His heart grew warm when he met the familiar gang – Sakura, who was working hard to keep her four-years-old son Toshiro (who had her eyes and Neji's hair) from running around, Shikamaru, who was fighting over the phone with Temari, his newest 'conquest' (which was how he called her, although they all knew it was something far deeper), Shino and Kiba, who seemed to have something weird going on judging by how fidgety they were around each other, and of course Itachi, who had a strange, nearly sad look just traceable on his face. He made a mental note to talk to all three of them later, and to tell Sasuke to interrogate his brother a bit.

He greeted them all, and although they were already adults something close to a hassle erupted. A huge grin then appeared to his face when he met two more familiar faces. "Hey! I thought you guys wouldn't come until tomorrow."

Hayate smiled. "We both had some holidays to spare, and we knew how important this is – to both of you."

Yugao smiled while ruffling the man's hair playfully, and winked a bit. "Don't let him fool you." Anyone who knew her caught the sparkle of joking in her eyes. "He just wanted a break from the twins. Teenagers aren't a joy to live with all the time."

He grinned while sitting. "Yeah, I can tell." As from birth, the twin-girls had been fighters, and their temper hadn't diminished the slightest as they'd grown up. He truly admired the couple for not losing their minds completely yet.

Kiba's voice, which sounded slightly more tense than usual, pulled him out of his thoughts, along with a swat to his head. "Hey, time to zone back to reality. It's starting."

Naruto swallowed thickly, a part of him almost hoping Sasuke wouldn't appear all the way until the Uchiha was already on the ice, with an expression he just couldn't read.

He chewed his lip so hard that blood was almost drawn. _Please…_, his mind pleaded before he realized anything was coming.

A couple of long and heavy, electric seconds of silence ticked by until the music started, sending Sasuke into motion.

No matter how much a part of him hated watching Sasuke skating – knowing just how painful it was although the Uchiha never admitted a thing – Naruto found himself smiling as the music started. For the smallest of seconds he was sure the raven's eyes met his.

It was 'Prince Igor' again. (1) He was childishly glad knowing that no one else could've possibly understood the little message, the importance of something as seemingly trivial as music.

In a matter of moments, despite all the worry speeding through his veins, he lost himself into watching the performance. Every single move – every heart-stilling jump, speedy twirl and other move – seemed perfectly controlled, out of this world. On Sasuke's face lingered the same clouded look he always saw when the raven skated. The expression gave a feeling that the younger Uchiha was somewhere a million miles away, seeing and experiencing something no other mortal had access to.

It felt like watching a bird rising to its wings, and just witnessing the scene made Naruto feel like gasping.

And suddenly he was smiling, feeling warm while his heartbeat and blood pressure gained a life of their own. He truly hoped no one noticed the eager bulge that appeared to his pants – Kiba would've never let him live it down.

When the performance ended and the audience exploded into ovations and cheers he finally gasped, loudly, realizing only then that he'd been holding his breath. Without managing to speak another word he bounced up from his seat and ran.

-

Hayate frowned while watching the blond go. "Is something wrong?"

Kiba grinned toothily while shaking his head. "Nope. It's like this every freaking time." The grin deepened still. "Whether he admits it or not, a certain part of Naruto's body likes these performances very, very much. I wouldn't go looking for him – or Sasuke – for a while."

Hayate, a teacher who'd already thought he'd faced it all, blushed radiantly.

* * *

That afternoon Neji, who'd been deep in thought while going through a shopping list, almost jumped when his cell phone chose to snap to life. If he'd had a little bit less self-control, he might've smiled when noticing who the caller was. "Hey. Is everything okay?"

"_Yeah. I was just… wondering how much longer you're going to spend there._" Apparently, that was Sakura's apology for the very much hormone induced fight they'd had that morning. "_It's quiet here without you, especially now that Toshiro's sleeping._"

At that moment, it was very, very easy to remember every single little thing that'd made him fall in love with her. "I know." His voice was so soft that in some other occasion it might've sickened him. He took a look at his list. "I've got only two more stores to go. It shouldn't take long."

"_Okay. Just come home soon, 'k? I miss you already._" With his mind's eyes, he could see how she smiled and stroked her already huge bump affectionately. "_We both do._"

It was next to impossible not to smile. "See you soon." _I miss you, too_, was something his pride wouldn't allow him to say.

After hanging up, he took a couple of steps towards a nearby small store when something caught absolutely all his attention, struck like a kick to his stomach. He couldn't help staring as the unbelievable sight that unfolded before him.

Right there, walked a small boy who looked more like him than should've been humanly possible and was exactly at the right age. And holding the boy's hand was none other than TenTen, who was walking by some black haired man's side. Their voices echoed in his ears.

"But mommy, I want one _now_!"

"Enji (2), what have I told you about patience? When we get home, you'll definitely get a ice-cream."

"Promise?"

The laugh sounded like something that should've belonged into some other universe. "Yes, sweetie. That's a promise."

His mind growing dazed and fuzzy, he took a step forward – only to halt when out of nowhere a buss arrived, speeding past so that it almost touched his nose. When the vehicle disappeared the family was gone. Had he not known better, he might've thought he'd been dreaming or hallucinating. Unfortunately his mind couldn't be fooled.

He gave a long, shuddering breath, absently realizing that he was shivering a little.

In one long blink he realized that the world wasn't such a simple place anymore.

* * *

Much later that evening, a nurse named Mitate sighed while entering one of the most secured rooms in the psychiatric hospital's closed ward. Inside he found a strange, brown haired young man, who was currently staring at the ceiling while resting on the bed to which he'd been strapped pretty much for the past five years. Unfortunately such a sight didn't surprise him; this stranger – of whom no one knew more than that his name was 'Zaku', or something like that – had been like this since he'd been found.

He hadn't been along, of course, but he'd been told that the brunette had been found from the attic of a tiny house, after neighbours had complained about an unbearable reek. The reason for the stench had also been discovered. Beside the extremely bloodied brunette – who'd been hugging his legs while rocking himself back and forth – was the body of a man with long, black hair. They'd gotten the shock of their lives when finding out that the corpse had been none other than one of Japan's most wanted criminals, Orochimaru. Apparently Zaku had stabbed him with a razor knife thirty times almost a week earlier, and been unresponsive since. It was a miracle that the brunette had survived.

While looking at the catatonic brunette, he wasn't quite sure if the other had been lucky or not.

He created the same smile he always wore with patients while approaching the brunette as he would a somewhat dangerous wild animal. "Alright, then. Let's do the evening washes, shall we? I heard you were I bit difficult with the morning shift. But we won't have the same problems, will we?"

-

When leaving the room much later, Mitate blinked and felt a tingle of threat when finding an old man sitting in one of the long hallway's chairs. "I'm sorry, but it's much past the visiting hours, and we don't even allow visitors here."

The man seemed to swallow thickly while getting up to what seemed like shaky legs. "It's… okay, I just…" It took a long moment before words were found. "I'm Danzou, Zaku's… current guardian. Is he… still the same?"

He fought the urge to arch an eyebrow. Odd – he'd never met this man before. "Yes, I'm afraid so." _I'm sorry_, almost passed his lips as he looked at this haunted being.

The man nodded, his shoulders slumping in a defeated manner. "I understand." With that the man seemed to attempt to work on some authority, only to fail miserably. "I'll stop by tomorrow."

He could only nod as a response. He shivered while watching the man go, feeling pity squeezing his chest.

Gosh, even ghosts had more life than this Danzou did! It was beyond him how people could get that badly lost.

Shaking his head, he turned around and started to walk away. The next day he didn't even remember the poor, unfortunate soul.

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke were already halfway asleep while the lay in their bed, watching how shadows created entrancing patterns to the room's ceiling.

Such calmness and relaxation… felt very, very good, to both of them.

Sensing Sasuke shift, and hearing a tiny hiss, Naruto moved his head so that he could see the raven. He frowned lightly when meeting a trace of pain that disappeared quickly. "It still hurts, doesn't it?" He knew that despite the two operations that'd been made during the past ten years or so, skating was still extremely painful to the Uchiha – heck, even that day the man had nearly collapsed into his arms. And he had a feeling that their activities during that very pleasant afternoon and evening hadn't exactly helped matters.

Sasuke avoided meeting his eyes before the raven's had regained their usual steel. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine."

He felt like snorting. _Yeah, sure you are…_ For a while he thought about trying to coax the Uchiha into quitting skating, but stopped when remembering that it was pointless. No words from him, Itachi or doctors helped. Sasuke had made up his mind, and all he could do was try to narrow the damage to minimum. Biting back a sigh, he kissed the raven's lips, resting his head to a chest in which a heart was beating strongly, reassuringly. After a moment he closed his eyes, smiled and let his mind shut down, enjoying the moment at hand too much to worry.

It was impossible to worry with Sasuke beside him, he mused.

He must've almost fallen asleep, because he shuddered a bit when hearing Sasuke's somewhat sleepy, nearly murmuring voice. "How's your book going? I heard you typing this morning."  
He fought the urge to smile. The Uchiha had been, to say the least, hesitant when it came to his newest book at first, but in the end the raven had understood that it was something he needed to write, for the sake of his sanity. They'd come to a agreement that his project was okay so long as he didn't use anyone's real names, and the matter had been almost buried this far. Now, he felt extremely good when facing approval like this. "I'm almost done", he announced, feeling the same pride he always did when finishing one of his writing works. "You know, I even managed to come up with a title for it today."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

Grinning far more brightly than he assumed to be suitable for an adult, Naruto crawled out of the bed with some reluctance, then walked up to his desk. Soon enough he returned to his boyfriend's warmth, and revealed Sasuke the first page of his book; a sheet of paper he'd written very early that morning. He could tell the Uchiha came close to smiling.

'_Welcome To A Masquerade_'

* * *

**_Owari._**

* * *

1) Heh, I'm sure you don't remember anymore, so… This was the song to which Sasuke skated when Naruto saw him skating for the first time. It's 'their song' of some sort, I guess. (grins)

2) Enji - Neji. (gulps) Yeah, uh-huh...

* * *

A/N: My GOSH, I can't believe this – it's actually over! (gawks disbelievingly, then starts bawling) MAN, am gonna miss this! (sniffs)

Before I tune out, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all those fabulous reviews, listings, and of course reading this silly little drabble of mine! It's been a long ride but I've enjoyed it all the way, mostly thanks to you. (grins from ear to ear)

And, of course… PLEASE, leave a review so I'll know what you think about this ending! Pretty pwease…?

Once more THANK YOU, and all the very best to all of you! I really hope I'll see you all again around this site.

Take care, and peace out!

* * *

**lalala**: Yeah, almost done indeed. (sniffs) Awww, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who's been enjoying this fic. (grins radiantly)

Ah, I believe you mean 'Sealed by horseshoes' (heh, I think that's how it's spelled)! Heh, I can't help it – whenever I imagine Naruto and Sasuke interacting, that's what comes to my mind. (grins) (sighs) Oh, the days when they were like that in the manga, too…

Awww, I'm so happy to hear ya like my responses THAT much! (beams) I love chatting with ya guys, too. (grins and nods)

Colossal thank yous for the review!

See you soon, no?


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